Bridging the Gap
by WalkingWit
Summary: A rift in the universe means that Rose and her Doctor must travel back to their own world and meet up with the new Doctor and the Ponds to stop the universe from falling apart. Old friends lend a helping hand when the Doctor needs it most.
1. Pretending

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around.**

**Pretend**

Torchwood. He had spent so much effort in that other world fighting what Torchwood had become, and here he was working in its counterpart, providing classifications and names for the alien species and samples that were brought in. At first, he had been skeptical, thinking that the poor creatures had been murdered, but was proven wrong. Pictures were attained and employees asked for the remains of their deceased members. This, he could deal with. Being born during a bloody murder and war tended to leave him sensitive to certain occurances. It didn't help that he was a bloody human now, too. Sure, he had been appreciative of humans and what-not, but it was so much different when he _was_ one.

He looked up from his nearly completed sonic to glance at his wife across the way. He looked down at the desk, a smile creeping over his features. Oh yes, she was brilliant. It took some time to become reaccquianted with one another, but she still looked at him the same way she always had. She was wary at first, not totally convinced that he was the same as the Doctor had told her. She would watch him carefully, examining the slight, subtle differences in his behaviour. She had been further convinced of his being her Doctor when he insisted on licking and tasting first the sand in that world, then the asphalt, the trees, and so and so forth.

One day, she stumbled upon him in the Tyler's large kitchen, him covered in flour.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

"Domestic," he replied, picking up a banana from the fruit bowl and handing it to her.

A smile nearly split her face into two and she pounced on him, kissing him soundly. No, he wasn't exactly the same (he was part Donna, after all), but he was still her Doctor. She still looked at him with the same adoration she did for his ninth and tenth incarnations, and for that he was grateful. He looked back at her briefly, noticing the way she still bit her tongue when something was troubling.

Rose peered at the console and computer in front of her in confusion, looking at the numbers once more. She wrinkled her nose, exasperated. She punched in some numbers on the keyboard. ERROR blared in front of her.

"John," she called her husband who was tinkering with his newest creation. John Noble-Smith, he was called in that world. One day, Rose slipped and called him Doctor. The Torchwood head raised an eyebrow, not believing the hurried explanation Rose had made up that since he had a PhD she called him 'doctor' as a joke. Nevertheless, they needed his brain and his classifications.

He looked up, glasses perched at the tip of his nose. His hair stuck out at odd ends, as usual. He moved towards her swiftly, looking at the computer screen in shock.

"What?" he exclaimed, pushing his glasses up.

"Look at it again," she insisted.

His eyes scanned the data over and over again, mind racing.

"There's a rift forming," he said decidedly.

Rose's heart skipped a beat.

"The TARDIS isn't ready yet, is it?" she asked quietly, not wanting anyone to hear about the coral the Doctor had given his counterpart.

He shook his head, "Not for a few more months. Even with Donna's brilliance it still takes a while."

His chest constricted at the memory of his friend. _"...if you shatterfry the plasmic shell and modify the dimensional stabiliser to a foldback harmonic of 36.3, you accelerate growth by the power of 59!" _she had said_._ She grew to be his best friend, and she didn't even remember him.

"Then how're we gonna get there?" she clicked her tongue, crossing her arms.

"Run," he grinned. He was glad to see that her worried features eased into a small smile.

* * *

"Come along, Ponds," the Doctor tapped lightly on the door to their bedroom.

He heard muffled sounds and Amy's curses. Rory opened the door, sticking his head out the doorway.

"We're a bit indisposed, if you don't mind," Rory said hurriedly.

"Oh," the Doctor said confused.

Rory sent him a look.

"_Oh,"_ he said, realising the meaning, "forget I was even here. I'll just take a swim in the pool."

He moved his arms as if swimming for an added effect. He moved down the halls of the TARDIS, trying not to focus on a door. He couldn't bear to get rid of the room, but he tried not to notice it. He was the Doctor, forever moving forward and never looking back. He would take his companions and then leave them after using them as warriors. Sometimes he couldn't help but think that Davros was right. He shook his head, not feeling up for a swim.

He clambored back to the console, poking around. Barcelona, huh. The planet, not the city. He groaned inwardly at the memory. He had promised her so much, but left her time and time again. The only thing that kept him sane was the knowledge that the Meta-Crisis Doctor would be there for her. He couldn't have her live her life with him on the TARDIS while she aged and he stayed the same (save for regenerations). After his latest regeneration, the pain ebbed a bit, but he still missed her. Oh, how he missed her. Sometimes Amy would say something so very Rose that he would retreat into his room. Rory tried to understand and ask him about it, but he wouldn't budge. After several attempts, Rory had let him be, and for that he was ever grateful.

He hung his jacket on the chair, popping under the console to tinker about, just for the hell of it. He could pretend that he was still Big Ears or Pinstripes and that Rose was watching him while chatting away about Jackie and Mickey. He would nod along at certain intervals, thinking in his head, "That's lovely...of course we can go visit...yes, Mickey can come along..." Or, he could pretend that there was no meta-crisis, and Donna and Rose were both with him-his best friend and the love of his life, chatting together and poking fun at him. Sometimes when he saw Amy from behind, he had to resist the urge to call her 'Donna', but he could still pretend. In his own little world, he could pretend.

* * *

**Please review, I'd really appreciate feedback. **


	2. Everything

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around.**

**Everything**

For so long, he had tried to convince himself that he did not love Rose Tyler. She was just a girl, just a human. He was the Doctor, the last of the Time Lords. He couldn't waste his time with a silly Earth girl when he had a universe to worry about. He tried to brush off the fact that he felt a twinge of hurt when she had first refused to go with him. He also tried to ignore the fact that he was thrilled to have her with her. She was fantastic, and she didn't even know it. Being kind, compassionate, witty, and loving made her the epitome of everything he loved about humans. She had saved him, and in more ways than one. Kissing her was quite a way to go, even if she didn't remember it.

He smiled slightly at the memory, remembering her fear when he was regenerating. He never wanted to put her through that again. Now the only thing she had to worry about was him catching a silly little cold. Bah! A time lord (or half, now) did not succumb to silly colds. Yet, here he was in their cosy flat, hiding under the covers. He couldn't afford to be sick. The rift was only getting wider and wider as time went on. There were no visible problems or incidents yet, but it was only a matter of time before the universes would collide, creating mass hysteria and killing millions. He had been persuing a few books, and doing some research on what could have caused it when he began to sneeze. As he was checking up on the TARDIS's growth (it was really coming along well, only a few more weeks and a fully grown TARDIS would await them) he began to cough. Rose fussed over him, insisting he rest. He could see the glint of fear in her eye, the fear that he would leave her once again was all too real in her mind. He wouldn't leave. Not even the clutches of death could take him. He shook his head slightly at his inner ramblings and exaggerations. It was just a bloody cold!

"Doctor," Rose sighed. She only called him that when they were alone, and it was comforting.

"I'm not sick!" he insisted, voice hoarse.

"It's just some medicine," she said exasperated. She held a bottle of medicine in her hand, shaking her head at her husband.

"I just need," he started, interrupted by cough.

"What do you need?" Rose asked, sitting on the bed.

He kept coughing, struggling to speak, "Need" another cough.

"What?" she looked worried.

"Tea," he let out a small grin.

Rose scowled and hit him on the leg, "You are ridiculous."

"Don't hit a sick man!" he poked his head out from under the covers. Rose glared at him, shaking her head.

"I'll go make a cuppa," she stood.

"With-"

"A bit of honey. I know," she smiled softly before leaving the room.

* * *

Amy sat in the kitchen, nursing a cup of hot coco. Something was amiss with the Doctor, and she didn't know why. He seemed even more aloof and distant than usual. Rory said to leave him be. She grudgingly agreed, not wanting to upset their mode of transportation. She had agreed to leave him alone, but that didn't mean she couldn't snoop. She poked around the many rooms of the TARDIS, not wanting to know why there as a room chock full of pinstriped suits. She went to the library and shuffled through some books, hoping to find a journal. All she got was a London newspaper. She furrowed her brow at the stack of newspapers in front of her. She took one, confused. Why would the Doctor keep a newspaper from 2006? She read the cover story, recalling the incident at Canary Wharf. She scanned the article, noting the names of the missing or dead. She didn't recall any of them to be of importance. Wasn't the Doctor there then? She remembered him talking (more like mumbling) about it a while ago. She looked at the date and paled. It had been five years to the date of the incident. Had the attack affect him so much? It was after all, the Daleks and Cybermen uniting...

Rory strolled into the kitchen, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

"Hey," she said, looking up at him.

He sat down next to her and took the paper, reading it.

"This is an old newspaper," he stated.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Amy rolled her eyes at her husband. She snatched the paper back. "I want to know why the Doctor's kept this for so long."

Rory leaned over her to glance over the paper, "One of the names is crossed out," he pointed.

Amy looked to the name. She squinted, trying to make out the words.

"Rose Tyler," Amy muttered, "why does that sound so familiar?"

Before the Pond-Williamses had any time to mull over the name, the Doctor entered the entry way.

"Who's up for Mars?" he asked with an overly happy smile.

"I wanted to go to London," Amy said.

The smile vanished from the Doctor's face, features hardening.

"We can go tomorrow," he replied tersely.

Rory shrugged, elbowing Amy, "Mars it is."

The forced smiled returned, "Best be off, then."

* * *

Rose came back into the bedroom, holding a tray of tea and biscuits. She scowled when she saw the Doctor fiddling with his sonic screwdriver.

"You're supposed to be resting," she snapped, dropping the tray onto the bedside table.

"I just want to get it to work," the Doctor pouted.

Rose fought a laugh and resorted to her steely glare. The Doctor slowly put the sonic scewdriver down and put his hands up in a sign of surrender.

"You need to rest and get better so we can save the world," she said quietly, sitting down next to him.

"The Doctor and Rose, in the TARDIS," he mused, taking her hand.

"As it should be," she nodded decisively.

He gave a sigh, "I miss having pockets that are bigger on the inside."

She stuck her tongue between her teeth, chuckling quietly.

"I'm sure you'll be able to make those again," Rose assured him.

"It's been nearly three years and I still can't get the sonic to work properly," he said between coughs.

"Would you like a kettle and string?" she asked with a smile.

"Cheeky," he laughed softly before a fit of coughing took over.

* * *

The Doctor babbled away, firing off facts about Mars and its inhabitants. Rory and Amy walked behind him, not really paying attention.

"But who is she?" Amy asked, referring to Rose Tyler.

"If he wanted us to know he'd have told us," Rory stated simply.

Amy narrowed her eyes at him. Rory turned his attention back to the rambling Doctor, pretending to have been listening the entire time.

"So, Mars," the Doctor stuck his arms out. He turned around to face the young newlyweds.

"Who's Rose Tyler?" Amy asked.

Rory slapped his hand against his forehead. The Doctor's eyes bulged and his face turned stony and stoic.

"Who?" he said, acting as if he had never heard of the blonde human.

Amy shook her head, "Don't play that with me. Who is she?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he walked back to the TARDIS.

Amy and Rory followed helplessly.

The Doctor punched in new coordinates, silently seething. Amy was bringing up his past, something he tried to forget. The Nine and Ten in him told him just let it all out. They had loved and lost Rose time and time again. He didn't want to ramble incessentally like his Tenth self. He was well aware that Ten tried to hold on as long as he could, the image of a young Rose Tyler being embalzoned in his memory. He had gone to seek her out, one last time, to a time when she was oblivious to his existence. The Meta-Crisis Doctor may have been born in war, but he had been born in loss and agony and lonliness.

"Who was she? A companion? A friend? We know she must've been at Canary Wharf," Amy rattled on.

"Hey, this is all you, woman," Rory sputtered.

"Shut up, Rory," she hissed at him.

"You want to know who she was?" he asked quietly, voice the coldest Amy had ever heard it.

She nodded timidly, her former gusto and fearlessness seeming to escape her.

"Everything," the Doctor said painfully, "she was everything."

* * *

**Please review, I'd really appreciate feedback. I think I've made poor 11 a bit too crazy, but I've got reason. He gallavants about in the 5th series acting as if nothing was wrong, as if he'd forgotten all about Rose and the others. He still has the same memories, and I think he likes to ignore whatever's happened because it hurts too much. After all, 10 didn't want to go.**


	3. Hello

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around.**

**Hello**

How was he even supposed to begin to explain Rose Tyler? The Doctor ran a hand through his shaggy hair, resting his elbows on the console in defeat. Amy gazed at him with scruitinizing eyes while Rory just looked sympathetic. Good old, Rory. He knew when to stop pressuring people. Maybe that's why he and Amy worked well together, they were opposites. He was trying to ignore them, but he couldn't. Years of supression and angst were bubbling to the surface and he couldn't keep it in any longer.

"She was the first companion I had after the time war," he started quietly.

He didn't want to tell them that he was in love with a human girl. That she was the best thing to happen to him. That she taught him to love when he was still mourning the loss of the family he once had and Galifrey as a whole. The ache in his hearts grew. His granddaughter, Susan, had grandchildren by then. No one survived, and it was all his bloody fault. How was he supposed to explain that she had saved him time and time again, only for him to leave her? He couldn't even admit that he loved her. "Rose Tyler" were the only words he managed to choke out in her presence. He didn't quite understand. His other incarnations were quite all right with letting companions go so they could move on with their lives, but no, not anymore. Rose changed him. She made him more sentimental. She eased the pain and lonliness he carried with him, and she made it alright to have friends. His thoughts travelled to Donna, and he felt miserable. She would never remember him. Maybe it was for the best. She had a life and a husband and most likely children. He couldn't destroy that like he'd destroyed so many other lives. He once again landed back on Rose. Did she and his clone have children? Most likely. Ten was so obvious about his feelings, even if he didn't say them out loud. Nine absolutely adored her, even if he claimed he didn't do domestic. He didn't want to explain that he kept her room, as if it were a shrine. Nothing had been touched, and the smell of her perfume still lingered in the air. He didn't want to explain the room of pinstripes and leather jackets, either. Or why he kept a stock of bananas in the fridge.

He looked back up at the couple, wiping his face.

"Doctor," Amy sounded conflicted. She had never seen him so upset.

"You don't have to tell us," Rory spoke up, taking Amy by the elbow.

Amy nodded begrudgingly, letting him lead her to their room.

"Thank you," he nodded curtly.

* * *

Jackie and Pete had been wary of letting the pair grow a new time machine. When they saw it had been growing, Jackie went off on a rampage.

_"I've finally got you home, and now you're going to off zipping to Mars again,"_ Jackie had complained.

"_There's a crack, a hole between the two worlds mum. We've got to fix it_," Rose tried to explain as calmly as she could.

_"Again! I thought that bloody crack sealed itself. Listen here, Doctor. If you get her hurt or stuck in _that_ world, I swear-_" Jackie looked threateningly at her son-in-law.

_"Mum!"_ Rose shouted.

"_It's just...I want grandchildren,_" she pouted defeatedly.

"I_ don't want them to only be five years younger than their uncle_," Rose said in reference to Tony.

"_So you have thought about it,"_ Jackie clapped her hands together.

The Doctor stared at the pair of blondes bicker back and forth, amused. He'd been confined to a bed for a week due to a silly cold, and he was lacking entertainment.

_"Let's go,"_ Rose pulled the Doctor along to the yard.

Rose and the Doctor walked in the back yard of the Tyler's estate, heading towards the back corner, hidden from view. The Doctor ducked into a small shed, Rose following. In front of them stood their newly grown TARDIS.

"Fantastic," the Doctor grinned.

Rose stared at it in disbelief.

"It worked," she said.

"Oh, yes," he enthused, hugging the blue police box.

He licked it and let go, "It doesn't taste the same. It's more bitter."

Rose rolled her eyes in amusement, but she was still excited. She opened the door, feeling as if she was thrust back to the first time she entered the TARDIS all those years ago. The shining beams and hum were welcoming and she felt as if she were home. The Doctor stood behind her, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face him, the tears welling in her eyes. She threw her arms around him, kissing him quickly. His arms wrapped around her waist and he hugged her tightly, equally moved by the thought of being _home_. Rose pulled away, cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. She wiped her eyes and laughed.

"Let's go, explore, then. Allons-y," the Doctor intertwined his fingers with hers as they set off inside the box.

They examined the console and the chairs thoroughly. Rose ran her free hand over the high seats, still in awe. The Doctor's hand twitched, wanting to immediately set coordinates. They climbed the stairs, relishing the moment. Every room imaginable was there. They were empty, understandably, but there.

"My room," Rose poked her head in the doorway of an empty space.

The Doctor sent her a soft smile. He debated on whether or not to tell her that he had kept her room in the first TARDIS, but decided against it. They moved back to the console room and the Doctor pressed a few buttons.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

"Furnishing the rooms, of course," he said.

"How?"

"Internal memory," he stated as if it were obvious.

"Right," Rose clicked her tongue.

She crossed her arms across her chest, leaning against a chair. She watched as the Doctor worked, and for a moment, it felt as though she never got stuck in Pete's World. The Doctor still had two hearts, and they were not in the Tyler's backyard, but floating in space.

The large screen in front of them glowed and the Doctor typed something in.

"How's the rift," she bit her tongue.

"I think it's just big enough that we can get through, but not cause any problems. We have to go where the rift is widest, first," he replied.

She nodded.

"How'd you manage to keep this a secret from Torchwood?" he asked.

Rose gave a sly smile, "I have my ways. I know how to hack the system and change the data."

"You have no idea how proud I am," the Doctor said.

"So, are the rooms ready?" she asked.

He nodded, watching her glide up the stairs. She flung the door to her room open, gasping at the sight of the light pink walls. Pictures of her and the Doctor in his ninth and tenth incarnations lined the dresser. Her bed was the same. Everything was the same. She opened the dresser, but found it empty.

"We can bring in our clothes from the flat," the Doctor stood in the doorway, arms crossed.

She nodded, turning to face him.

"I s'pose we're ready to go," she said nervously.

The Doctor nodded. They popped out of the TARDIS, headed towards their flat to pack. Once there, the Doctor couldn't help but chuckle. Rose had kept her love of pink, but now she finished off her outfits with a leather jacket. Her jeans had begun to be replaced by wide-legged trousers, sometimes ones with thin stripes.

"What?" she asked.

"We're starting to dress alike," he laughed.

She looked at the stack of clothes both had assembled onto their bed. Stripes, solid coloured shirts. A few ties. Jeans. Chucks. Rose bit back a laugh before snorting.

* * *

"Oh, sweetie," Jackie clung to her daughter for dear life as they stood outside the TARDIS. Pete and the Doctor conversed quietly, giving the pair to say goodbye properly. Little Tony stood, staring at the blue box.

"Mum, we'll be fine," Rose assured her, breaking free of the death grip.

Jackie sighed, "Doctor, take care of her. I expect you to be back. If you end up staying-"

"Don't worry, mum," Rose gave her another hug before bidding farewell to Pete and Tony.

Truth be told, Rose would have stayed on Earth with the Doctor if he had asked her to all those years ago. Now, it was different. She had a life, a job, her family, and the Doctor, all in one place. She wouldn't trade it for anything.

The Doctor and Rose stepped into the TARDIS, closing the door behind them.

Rose took a seat next to the Doctor, heart beating rapidly in anticipation. He punched in the coordinates.

"Allons-y," he grinned, setting off.

* * *

Amy wrinkled her nose as she, the Doctor, and Rory stepped onto a beach.

"Where are we? This is so not Rio," she shivered.

Rory looked at the Doctor for answers, and he shrugged.

"That's odd," he looked around, recognizing the beach. "We're in Norway, I think."

"Norway! How could you confuse Rio with Norway?" Amy crossed her arms over her chest.

He ran back into the TARDIS, looking at the coordinates. He ran back out, rubbing his head.

"No, no. Impossible," he muttured, pacing back and forth.

The noise of the TARDIS was heard, but it wasn't coming from their TARDIS.

"Where are we?" Amy demanded over the din. Norway wasn't a very concrete answer.

"Bad Wolf Bay. Impossible!" the Doctor threw his arms in the air, frustrated.

"Is that...? Rory gaped as an identical blue box began to materialise in front of them.

The Doctor could feel his heart beating erratically. Amy looked at him with equal amounts of fear and confusion. The fully formed TARDIS clone faced them, and the door swung open to reveal a tall man in pinstripes and a blonde woman in a leather jacket.

The Doctor stared at Pinstripes, mouth agape. Pinstripes stared back in confusion.

"Doctor," the blonde looked at Pinstripes, eyes wide. She glanced at the Doctor before turning back to her Doctor.

"Doctor? He's not the Doctor. He is," Amy jerked her thumb at the Doctor.

"What?" Pinstripes sputtered, looking at Rose, "What?" he repeated.

"I regenerated," the Doctor said apologetically, eyes fixed on Rose. She had gotten older. This incarnation looked closer in age to her than any of the previous ones.

"WHAT?" Pinstripes said again. The blonde took his hand and squeezed it, visibly shaking. She stepped forward, taking Pinstripes with her.

"You've changed again," she told the Doctor sadly.

"Hello, Rose Tyler," the Doctor choked out.

* * *

**Please review, I'd really appreciate feedback. They meet again, at Bad Wolf Bay. **


	4. Explanation of Sorts

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**Explanations of Sorts**

Amy's head hurt. Really, it was pounding and she felt miserable. She looked between the Doctor and the Pinstriped man, to the blonde revealed to be Rose Tyler. John, the man had said. John was his human alias. She eyed her carefully. Rose was pretty, she had to admit, with her soft blonde hair, large eyes, and full lips. It was obvious why the Doctor would be attracted to her. So, she was the one the Doctor couldn't bear to mention, the one who sent him off into staring into space. Why, though, she had no idea. She soured slightly upon remembering the way the Doctor had pushed her away when she had kissed him. Of course, that had been idiotic on her part, but part of her was still hurt. She didn't know who she wanted to strangle-Rose or the Doctor. Hmm, she definitely wanted to strangle the Doctor. As far as she knew, John and Rose had done nothing wrong.

Pinstripes, er, John, was at Rose's side constantly. Her head rested on his shoulder, his arm wrapped about her waist. She had to admit that she found him quite attractive. He had a nice face and was tall and gangly without being awkward. They were currently seated in the console room of their TARDIS, not the look-alike that Rose and Pin-John had come in. The Doctor kept staring at Rose longingly, and she would have found it funny if it weren't so bloody depressing. Rory looked on, afraid to say anything. She recalled the meeting at the beach, and she was still confused. Rose hugged the Doctor and John shook his hand. They asked to look around the old TARDIS, so they were let in.

"It looks different," Rose commented, looking around.

John sniffed the door before licking it, "Tastes the same."

Rose let out a tinkling laugh, hanging onto John's arm. She brushed her hand over the door and she pressed her ear to the TARDIS. She closed her eyes, as if letting the sound overwhelm her. John glanced about.

"Why's it different?" he asked the Doctor.

"Erm, you see, during my latest regeneration...it kind of...how do I put this?" he scratched the back of his head, "...exploded."

Rose opened her eyes and started at the Doctor. Amy watched. What did he mean by 'regeneration'? Obviously, they had forgotten that she and Rory existed.

"Exploded?" John raised a brow.

"I, er, you, _we _didn't want to go," hell, how was he supposed to talk to his clone? He wanted nothing more than shoo them away and hide, but he couldn't, because it was Rose.

Rose's eyes suddenly widened with realisation, "You," she pointed at the Doctor.

"Me?" he said.

"You were saying goodbye to me, weren't you?" she asked softly.

"What're you talking about?" John asked, looking between the two. How could they have met? She was just as surprised to see him in a new body.

"New Years, 2005. You were in the street and I thought you were sloshed. You asked me what year it was, and then you said I'd have a good year," Rose explained, putting her hand over her mouth.

John rubbed her back, staring down the Doctor. The two Doctors' eyes met and Amy could have sworn she saw a flash in both. Rose turned and hugged John tightly, her body wracking with sobs. John whispered in her ear quietly until the tremors subsided. She wiped her eyes and turned around.

"Sorry," she apologised, "I s'pose I didn't realise how much being here would have an affect on me."

"Not that I don't enjoy your company, why are you here?" the Doctor tried to ask delicately. Of course he didn't mind Rose's company. He wanted nothing more than to keep her with him forever, but knew that it was impossible. He tried to look at it rationally-he would distnace himself emotionally. He used to be quite good at that.

John and Rose looked at each other. He ran a hand through his hair and she shifted on her feet.

"There's a rift. We were trying to get back to Earth to get the usual crew and see if they knew anything. You know, Jack, Martha, Mickey. I dunno if Martha's still at UNIT, though," John babbled. The Doctor had forgotten how much his tenth self could talk for hours on end. Now that he was also part Donna, Rose probably had a difficult time getting him to shut up. On the other hand, Rose could go on and on as well.

"We're on Earth," a confused Rory piped up.

"No, we're on a parallel Earth," the Doctor corrected his companion.

Amy and Rory exchanged looks of disbelief.

"Rift, carry on," the Doctor waved off his companions.

"Hold up, why'd she call you Doctor?" Amy pointed at John.

"I am, was, the Doctor," John started.

"He's my clone," the Doctor said at the same time.

"What's a regeneration?" Rory chimed in, echoing one of Amy's questions.

"Time lords don't die. We regenerate. That," the Doctor pointed at John, "was how I looked in my tenth incarnation. This is my eleventh. There's only so many times I can regenerate, though." He wasn't sure how he could act so calm, answering all of these questions when all he wanted to do was retreat to his room and have a good pity party. She was happy with his clone, exactly what he had wanted. Yet, seeing them together made the pain of losing her all too real.

"So you're immortal?" Amy queried.

"We die eventually," John said, "At least, I'll die. I'm half-human now."

Amy clutched her head, utterly lost. She didn't even need to ask 'how?'.

"Donna, one of my companions, touched my hand from my tenth incarnation that had been cut off during an encounter with the Sycorax, and I was created," John explained sadly. He sniffled slightly. Rose clutched his arm, looking sorrowful once more. The Doctor sobered too, the stoic look he had mastered transforming into pain.

"What happened to her?" Rory asked quietly, noting the solemn looks on their faces.

Rose hid her face in the lapels of the brown jacket John wore.

"She became brilliant, even more brilliant than she already was," John said quietly, "but if she remembered me, her brain would burn and she would die."

The words hit Amy and Rory like bricks, and they recoiled at the revelation. They knew traveling with the Doctor was dangerous, but _death_? Sure, Amy almost died when Rory was a Roman, but the Doctor fixed it. He fixed everyting, didn't he?

"She's fine, she just doesn't remember me," John said sadly, "she was my best friend."

Amy marvelled at the differences between the two Doctors. Here was this man who was so open, so to the point, and brave. Yet, the Doctor was reluctant to share even the most trivial aspects about himself.

The Doctor's face was stoic and blank. Gone was the cheefulness he tried to convey. He pretended to be happy and cheeky. He now looked as defeated as he felt. How long would he continue lying to her, and to himself?

"Are you travelling in your TARDIS, then?" the Doctor asked.

Rose nodded.

"It might be easier for all of us to go together," John suggested.

"We can't leave the TARDIS here," Rose pointed out. She didn't want to stay here. The Doctor had obviously moved on and she didn't want to intrude.

"Amy, Rory, can you give us a minute," the Doctor looked to the couple.

"I want to poke around a bit, love," Rose murmured quietly to John, kissing him on the cheek. She walked off with Amy and Rory up the stairs, noting the differences between the TARDISes.

* * *

"So, you were a companion," Rory tried to make awkward small-talk.

"Yep," Rose answered tersely. She didn't know if they knew about the Time War, so she kept her mouth shut.

"How old were you?" Amy asked. At first, she thought the Doctor pushed her away because she was too young.

"Nineteen," Rose answered.

Amy raised a brow. That was even younger than her, and by the looks of it, the Tenth Doctor or John, was quite a bit older than that. They continued walking in an awkward silence. Amy wanted to interrogate her, find out what made her so special, and why the Doctor acted like a lost puppy when she was around. Never had she seen him like that.

Rose tried her hardest not to cry as they reached a door.

"Mine and Rory's room is just down..." Amy trailed off, noticing Rose stop. "I don't know what's in there."

"My room," she choked, "I can't believe he's kept it."

She jostled the door open, flinging it to reveal happy pink walls, clothes strewn about, a fuzzy carpet, a vanity and dresser, and pictures of a man in a leather jacket and John. She walked into the middle of the room, looking around.

"That was the Doctor, when I first met him," she pointed to a picture of the man with the leather jacket. She gave a distressed laugh as she crossed the room to pick it up. She ran her fingers lightly over the picture, all defensive walls breaking down. She slid against the dresser, clutching the photo to her chest. She had loved him, even then with his mean voice, leather jacket, and big ears. She watched happily as he grew warmer and kinder, showing her a side he showed no one else.

Amy sat down in front of her, pained to see someone the Doctor loved so much in so much despair. Rory touched her shoulder in comfort.

"It's okay to cry," he said quietly.

Rose looked up at him, smiling sadly through the tears.

"I killed him that time," she admitted, "if I hadn't been stupid, he wouldn't have regenerated, I wouldn't have killed him. I was so scared he'd hate me," she shuddered as if the Doctor's hatred was the worst fate that could befall anyone.

Amy hugged her. Rose Tyler was a virtual stranger, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She patted her back soothingly as Rory looked on helplessly.

"Why'd you leave him?" Amy asked after a few minutes.

Rose let out a bitter laugh.

"I didn't. I let go of a lever at Canary Wharf. I was going to die, but my dad caught me and took me to the parallel world, this world" she attempted to explain as simply as possible, "he burnt up a sun to say goodbye. Then I found my way back and John was created. I thought I would stay with the Doctor, but he just dropped me back here with John. I was afraid John would leave me, too," she took a pause to wipe her tear stained cheeks, "I love John, too much, really," she smiled at the memory of their wedding.

Amy didn't know what to make of Rose. She loved the clone, but that meant she had to have loved the Doctor, too.

"You too care for the Doctor, yeah?" she asked the couple. They nodded in the affirmative, "Good. He means well, but watch your heart," she looked to Amy before looking at Rory, "you too."

* * *

The Doctor and John stood facing each other, arms crossed. The Doctor fidgeted. Every time he looked at his clone he remembered leaving Rose on that very beach. All he could get out was "Rose Tyler". He was too afraid to tell her how he felt. His brash, emotional clone had no such trouble. He whispered in her ear and she kissed him. It was apparent that he confessed his love. He almost didn't notice her look of heartbreak as he and Donna walked back to the TARDIS. Ever so often, he would dream that she had picked him, but that wasn't fair to his clone. He loved Rose unconditionally, and deep down, the Doctor knew that he couldn't give her the life she deserved. The Doctor knew his downfall was his fear of expressing himself, and trying to be too distant. John loved her fully and completely. She would never come second, and for that the Doctor was glad that the pair were happy together.

John reached into his pocket and took out the sonic screwdriver he had been working on. He figured they should break the ice instead of staring each other down.

The Doctor tried to fight a smile as he took out his newer model.

"Oh, what is that? Why in bloody hell is it _green_?" John scoffed, taking his glasses from a pocket and pushing them onto his nose.

"I see you've been busy," the Doctor gestured to the blue sonic.

"It only opens doors and scans. It's not as sonic-y as the old one," he muttered.

"Sonic-y?" the Doctor raised a brow, "I had almost forgotten I made up words."

"Wibbly wobbly timey wimey is a classic, boy o," John rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure," the Doctor deadpanned.

"What's with the bowties? Let me guess, you wear fezzes, too?" John chuckled, recalling that his seventh incarnation liked hats of various sorts. He wouldn't be surprised if this one liked a different kind of hat.

"Bowties and fezzes are cool. Better than the gallons of gel to get that 'I just look like this naturally' look," the Doctor countered.

"Look, enough. Can Rose and I tag along with you, or should we do this on our own?" John asked in exasperation, "I'm just wondering what two TARDISes traveling in the same universe would do," he expressed his fears.

The Doctor acknowledged that it might pose a problem.

"How'd you know about the rift? I didn't even notice."

"We work at Torchwood," John admitted, noticing the look of shock in the Doctor's eye.

"And you've kept it from everyone," he guessed.

"That's about right," John affirmed the speculation.

"Why don't you head to UNIT with Rose, while I take Amy and Rory to Cardiff. We'll meet there," the Doctor said, "it'll be quicker that way."

"Fine."

Rose jogged down the stairs, Amy and Rory in tow. She tugged on John's arm.

"You never told me you kept my room," she accused.

"Erm, well, you see," he stuttered.

"Never thought I'd see you speechless," Rose tutted.

"Hey, if her room's still here, did you keep my room of suits?" John asked suddenly, "these pockets are incredibly small." He dug his hands into the pockets to prove a point.

Rose shook her head, glad to hear the distraction. John knew just how to get her to laugh and forget what was bothering her. She looked at Amy and Rory and gave a small nod and smile as a thanks for listening to her unload her emotional baggage. She had no one to talk to at home, of course. Only another companion would understand.

* * *

**Please review, I'd really appreciate feedback. I feel like I had to get everything out so they could go onto Earth. I figured it'd be better for them to travel seperately so Amy can start interrogating the Doctor. Rose didn't give her the whole story, now, did she? She gave what I like to call the "Sparknotes version".**


	5. Recall

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**Recall**

Rose and John made their way back to their own TARDIS, leaving the Doctor with his two companions. Rose had asked him if she could take the pictures in her room. She stood in front of him, clutching a picture of Nine, her eyes glistening with tears. How could he say no to that? He nodded, knowing that there were copies of the ones she took. John had laughed, commenting that the picture was missing a banana. Amy and Rory looked at him as if he was insane, then to Rose, who errupted into stitches of laughter. The Doctor looked on, jealous that he could make her laugh so much after being upset moments before. He remembered a time when she would send laugh at what he said and send the adoring smiles to _him_. So, the Tyler-Smiths moved back to their TARDIS, with John muttering something about banana bread.

The Doctor immediately set the coordinates for Torchwood in Cardiff. Amy looked at him with a steely glare. He knew she wanted answers, but he didn't feel like giving her any. It was none of her damn business anyways. There was nothing to tell. Rose and the meta-crisis Doctor were happily married and very much in love. He had nothing to do with them anymore. Never again would he pine after the cheeky blonde with the cute smile. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

"So, interesting day," Rory scratched the back of his head. He had been trying to wrap his mind around everything that had transpired in a few short hours. He was still confused as to how the Doctor had a clone, who looked nothing like him. The word 'regeneration' had been thrown around, and John had tried to explain how he cam to be. He glanced to a pale Amy.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Amy asked, stepping towards her raggedy Doctor.

"It's nothing personal. You didn't need to know," the Doctor tried to brush her off.

"Did you not trust us or something? Is she the only one you trust?" she spat. Really, she had nothing against Rose. She just felt lied to, gypped. She had thought she had been special. The Doctor had chosen _her _of all people as a companion. They had been in contact since she was a child, for cripes sake.

"I trust you, Amy. If I didn't you wouldn't be here. Same goes for you, Rory," the Doctor replied tersely.

"Just tell us how you met her," Amy nearly pleaded.

"I manipulated her childhood," the Doctor sighed, "I moulded her into the perfect companion, and she didn't even know it. I was always there, watching over her. When I wasn't Jack was. Rose saved him. He's immortal now."

Amy and Rory sat back, watching the Doctor babble on. Rose had saved a friend of the Doctor's, and now he was immortal. How? Who was Jack? He had been mentioned along with Martha and Mickey, so where was he?

"She met me for the first time when I was in my ninth self. Big ears, I called him. She worked at a department store. The shop dummies were replaced by Autons, they kidnapped her boyfriend," he sighed again, "Look. It's going to take a hell of a lot of time to explain our friendship. To put things simply, she went with me. We travelled together, ran. And then she swallowed the heart of the TARDIS to save me, almost dying in the process. I saved her by kissing her, but then I regenerated. John is that me's clone. We became even closer, and then she got trapped. I burnt up a sun to say goodbye, but the signal failed just when I was going to tell her something. Martha was my next companion. She married Rose's ex a while ago. Rose and John are going to get them, now. Then came Donna," he smiled a little, "she was my best friend. Rose started appearing to her. She left me messages that I kept missing, being bloody daft that I am. Donna got tricked into creating a timeline in which I was dead."

Amy let out a little gasp, clutching Rory's hand.

"Rose came back to fix the timeline. She was working with UNIT, like Martha and Mickey are now. She left a message: 'Bad Wolf'. We're in Bad Wolf Bay right now. It means that the walls of reality had broken and that the universe was ending. That's when John was created. I left them together, knowing they would take care of each other. She was the last person I saw before I regenerated into _this_," the Doctor said. He nearly spat at them bitterly. "Happy?"

"Doesn't sound very happy," Rory muttured.

"You're right, it isn't happy! Ever think that that's why I don't want to relive it? I have to go on living, knowing that she would've stayed with me if I had asked, if John hadn't been created," the Doctor ranted desperately, wanting them to understand why he preferred not to talk about her.

"I'm sorry," Amy looked at him, truly apologetic.

"Next time, don't keep pushing. There's only so much more I can take," the Doctor growled.

* * *

Rose slumped agains the chair in front of the console, running her thumb over the picture frame. John settled in next to her. He looked at her in concern, knowing that meeting the Doctor again would mess with her head. He felt a little better that he had regenerated, as it would have gotten a bit confusing.

"How're you holding up?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I just hadn't expected him to be different," she shrugged.

John had been so afraid when he had been left with Rose that she wouldn't love him as much as she loved the Doctor. No matter how much he told her that they had the same memories and same thoughts, she had been so hesitant to go near him. Over time, she saw that they were, in fact, the same. John joked that she had loved him when he had changed faces, but now that he looked the same, she didn't.

_"Don't you ever say that I don't love you," she whirled, hair fanning out behind her._

_"Rose, I-" John started, tongue tying into a knot._

_"I love you. I don't care if I never travel in the TARDIS again on some grand adventure, if it means I have you. I waited for you to come back for me, but you didn't. So I had to go and find you," her shoulders began to shake._

_"I will never leave you again. I died a little every time," he took her hands._

_"I'm so afraid you'll leave me again," she admitted._

_"And here I was, afraid you'd leave me," he offered a wry smile._

_"Never," Rose said decidedly. She was shocked that he could even think that._

"_I love you, Rose Tyer," John insisted._

_"And I love you, John Smith."_

There, at Jackie and Pete's garden party for Torchwood employees, they had reconciled for good. Jackie had come chasing after them, chastising the pair for ignoring the party. To escape her wrath, John had but one word, _"Run". _Rose had taken his hand and they set off into a sprint, laughing the entire way back to Rose's room, falling onto the carpet, doubled over in laughter.

Even though he liked to be called 'the Doctor' when they were alone, at that moment, he felt whole. She had called him 'John', not 'Doctor'. That meant that she did love him. She didn't see them as one and the same, true, but she accepted him. She wouldn't push him away or block him out. For that, he was grateful.

"Shall we head out. Pay the Smiths a visit?" the Doctor asked, "Huh. Both Mickey and I are Smiths."

Rose chuckled and shook her head, "Let's go."

"Allons-y!"

* * *

Earth, 2011. Rose stepped out of the TARDIS, holding her breath. London, her London. She looked around, taking in all the differences between the two Londons. She tapped her foot on the sidewalk. It felt harder than the ground back home. Huh. She had started referring to the parallel Earth as home, and she didn't know when that had happened. John stepped behind her, closing and opening his eyes.

"We've done it," he murmured, "it works. Oh, she's brilliant!" he pat his hand onto the TARDIS affectionately.

"I can't believe it," Rose said quietly. It had been years since she had last been here. Since she had been at Henriks, or eaten a decent bit of chips. The other ones were too salty, but John loved them.

John popped back into the TARDIS, punching in a name. Rose followed him, curious.

"What're you doing?" she asked, not recognizing the letters. She figured they must be Gallifreyan.

"Finding Mickey's mobile number," he replied.

"Hello?" his voice sounded over the phone.

"Mickey, it's me," Rose spoke into the intercom.

"Rose?" he asked.

"Hello, Mickey," John sounded.

"Doctor? Bloody hell. What're you two doing back?" Mickey asked.

"About that, the universe is about to collapse into itself, so we need a bit of help," John said, explaining everything that had happened.

* * *

The Doctor jerked open the TARDIS door. Amy and Rory followed him, gaping at the imposing building.

"Welcome to Torchwood," he said as they walked to the entrance.

"'Scuse me, is Jack here?" the Doctor asked a dark haired man at the desk.

"Name?"

"I'm the Doctor," he said, watching the man's eyes widen. He nodded and took off quickly, trying to find Jack. A few minutes later, he was accompanied by a tall man.

Amy eyed him. Were all of the Doctor's friends attractive?

Jack looked at the Doctor warily, "How do I know it's you?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes and took out the sonic screwdriver. Jack grinned and moved to greet his old friend.

"Nice bow tie," he chuckled.

"Oh shut it. First the Meta Crisis Doctor, now you!"

"Hold on, what?" Jack asked.

"Rose and the Meta Crisis Doctor-John, he calls himself-are here. Well not _here_. They're at UNIT at the moment. At least they should be," he tried to explain.

"Rose is here?" he looked shocked, "I thought they were stuck there?"

"There's a rift, Jack," he answered solemnly. **  


* * *

**A blue box, a blue, flying box. Stars and planets and a man in pinstripes with glasses. A blonde girl and her loud mother. Robot things, shouting "exterminate", heading towards the man. People tied up and held. The blue box was flying, faster and faster, plummeting into nothingness. She was going to die. It would crash, and she would die. She looked around helplessly, aluminum and metal collapsing around her. There was a flash of creatures with long tentacles, looking squid faced. The blonde girl in a monitor screen, shouting but no words coming out.

Donna Noble sat up on her couch, sweating. She looked around and saw that she was, in fact, in her living room. She was not falling in some space box...thing. She patted the couch, relieved. What the bloody hell had that been?

Her grandfather strolled into the room, holding a tray of tea.

"Did you have a bad dream again?" Wilf asked, concerned. As much as he liked the Doctor, he didn't want his granddaughter to die because she remembered him.

"The box was fallin' this time," she said wearily.

"I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe you're stressed from work," he suggested.

"Yeah, work," she nodded taking the cup of tea, "maybe I need to see a doctor."

Wilf's eyes widened, "I'm sure you're fine."

Doctor. Tea. Flying blue box. Donna. Doctor. Donna. She clutched her head, dropping the tea. Doctor. Donna. It all jumbled up in her mind, and dammit it hurt. The squid faced creatures. The girl in the screen. Friends. Doctor. Donna.

Wilf started to fade away, and all she saw was black.

Doctor. Donna.

* * *

**I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far. Reviews are what really keep me going. I appreciate it.**


	6. Warnings

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**Warning**

Rose and John walked through the doors of UNIT, hand in hand. She bit her lip nervously. She hadn't seen Mickey in what felt like ages. Time went by faster on the parallel Earth, so three years to him was five for them. Had he changed? Would he help? How did he and Martha decide to get married? The thoughts flurried in her mind. They passed a row of computer monitors. John paused, a flash of the screen saver making him panic. "Bad Wolf" stared at them in bold letters. He glanced to Rose, who didn't notice. They kept going.

"Rose, Doctor!" Mickey shouted, waving.

Rose looked up, grinning and John squeezed her hand. Mickey walked over to them, smiling. He had gotten older, which was to be expected. A smattering of hair covered his face, and he looked tired. He walked with purpose, finally finding the confidence he had been lacking when he was younger. He wore a simple button down suit and black trousers, his hands in his pockets. He was always responsible, but had become even more hardworking. He attributed this to Ricky. He was no longer "Mickey the Idiot", but "Mickey Smith, Defender of Earth".

"I can't believe my eyes," he commented to his old friend. Rose hugged him tightly, taking in the differences in her friend.

"Neither can I," she said.

She pulled away slowly and Mickey and John shook hands.

"I wish we were here due to less pressing circumstances," John sighed, looking to his old companion.

"Care to fully explain what exactly has happened?" Mickey asked.

"Where's Martha?" Rose asked, "We'll explain everything to both of you at once."

"Follow me," Mickey led them up a set of stairs. Rose's boots clanged on the metal of the floor, creating a deafening noise. She noted that the others at UNIT were staring at them. John looked at her, "It's as if they've never seen a Timelord/Human," he scoffed. Rose snorted and pat his arm reassuringly.

Mickey opened a door, "Martha."

Martha Jones-Smith looked up, her serious expression immediately brightening. She wore a lab coat over her suit, her hair tied back. She looked every bit the doctor she was going to become. Thanks to her travels with the Doctor, she now analyzed and classified different species along with her duties of healing injured UNIT employees. She walked over to Rose and John, hugging each of them.

"The Doctor and Rose, together again," she grinned at the pair, motioning for them to sit down at the large table.

"So, rift in the universe. It's collapsing again, yeah?" Mickey asked.

John nodded, "If we pinpoint the center of the rift, we'd be able to do something. Anything."

"But, it was largest at Bad Wolf Bay," Rose interrupted.

"Doesn't mean that it's the center," John shrugged, digging his hands into his too-small pockets.

Mickey nodded.

"We've got your back," Martha assured them.

* * *

Torchwood. With its imposing walls and scientists running about. The Doctor and Jack sat in deep conversation, leaving Amy and Rory to their own devices.

Rory sat across from Amy, head on the table. His stomach growled loudly and Amy let out a small laugh. This whole waiting thing was getting old. Where the hell were Rose and John? She should have known that the Doctor had a long laundry list of companions and friends. It had been egotistical of her to think otherwise.

"Do you screen all of your companions to make sure that they're good looking?" Jack questioned the Doctor, winking.

"Hey, she's my wife, mate," Rory looked up at the American.

"I was winking at you," Jack smirked at Rory.

Amy snorted, "He's taken."

Suddenly, the same dark-haired man ran in, "Captain Jack, there are more people here."

"Send them in," he waved him away.

Jack jumped out of his seat, grinning like a fool, "Rosie!"

"Jack!" Rose mimicked his tone, hugging him quickly.

"Turn around, blondie. Let me get a good look at you," he instructed, noticing the differences in her appearance. Her blond hair was in a messy pony-tail, harkening back to her days with the Doctor. Her wide leg jean trousers were the same, but her trainers were replaced by boots. Her bright shirt was subdued by a leather jacket. "Nice ring," he referred to her wedding ring.

"I like it, too," she said.

"What, I don't get a hello?" John scoffed, pointing towards himself.

Jack smiled softly, clasping his hand in John's. Jack leaned in closer to him, "You're still better looking than big ears and this one."

John laughed before Jack turned to Martha and Mickey, greeting them warmly. Mickey looked to the man in a bow tie, brow raised.

"I've regenerated," he stated plainly, "and these are my companions, Amy and Rory."

"My head's gonna hurt a lot, calling you both Doctor," Mickey said, glancing between them.

"Call me John," John offered. Mickey nodded. It was always his human alias. Fitting.

"Doctor," Jack said, "Looks like we're surrounded by married couples. How 'bout we join them?" he joked.

The Doctor shook his head while John and Rose laughed quietly, nearly snickering.

"Right," Martha said, looking around the now-crowded room, "let's begin, shall we?"

* * *

The Doctor looked around the control room, hearts beating a little faster than usual. All of his current companions (minus the sorely missed Donna Noble) were running about or analyzing data on the large computer screen. Martha was explaining that a black hole could suck them in faster than a rift to Amy. Rose had Rory scanning more information as she typed quickly, yelling across the room. John had popped back into his TARDIS moments ago, only to come back with a stack of books on rifts and different creatures who could cause such a thing. Rose had followed him to drag him out of the vast library, but she had somehow missed him. Rose re-entered the room minutes afterwards, looking distressed. Mickey joined John in pouring through the books. Jack was barking orders at his crew, pacing around.

"Hold up, Daleks?" Mickey asked, eyes narrowing.

"Oh, bloody hell," Jack rolled his eyes.

"Would they make the same mistake twice?" Martha asked. She peered over Mickey's shoulder.

"No, too obvious," John waved it off.

The group went back to work. Of course, his old companions still saw John as the Doctor. They weren't used to him this way, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt. It hurt, quite a lot. As he looked to Martha who was back to prepping Amy, the Doctor suddenly realised that one day, the Ponds would leave him, too. They deserved to have a normal life and a family. His other companions seemed to have done just that. He looked back at the assmebled friends, a pang of jealousy hitting him as Rose slumped into a seat next to John, resting her head on his shoulder. His arm automatically wrapped around her reassuringly, and he dropped a kiss to her cheek. She looked unusually subdued.

* * *

Minutes earlier, Rose groaned upon seeing her husband rush out. She knew he would take ages in the library. She got up from her seat with a few simple instructions for Rory to continue her work. She walked towards their TARDIS, stopping short. BAD WOLF had been written over the door in paint. She touched it. It was still moist. There was no possible way she could have done this. She had been in the control room the entire time. She opened the door cautiously.

"Doctor?" she squeaked, "John? Where are you?"

She walked into the console room. There was nothing out of the ordinary. She moved further into the TARDIS. She felt a rush of air behind her. She whipped around to see everything in proper order. Goosebumps ran up her arms. She trekked towards her room, just in case he had been lulled there. The door was ajar and she peered in. Inside, was her, dropping a paper on the bed. Before Rose could say anything, she hit her metal belt, disappearing into thin air. Rose entered the room, picking up the paper.

_Bad Wolf. Be Careful. Future in your hands._

Rose read the eight words over and over again. What in the hell was going on? She pocketed the note, slipping into the console room. Below the console, glowing particles of light floated towards her.

"No!" Rose ran towards the door. She shook, pounding the locked door, "Let me out!"

She barrelled out of the door, running to the control room of Torchwood.

* * *

Wilfred Mott stared at his lifeless granddaughter. His heart ached to see her with tubes sticking out every which way. Her pale face was whiter than the sober walls of the hospital. Even unconcious, the pain she was in was evident in her face. The doctor had explained that the nerves in her brain were on over-drive, too much for a human brain to take. A scan showed areas of bright spots, spotted around her brain. _Too much knowledge for a human. _

_"_Where are you, Doctor?" Wilf asked the empty room.

_Bad Wolf, the girl whispered. She knew this feeling. She was going to die. Why did it feel as if it had happened before?_

_

* * *

_

The Doctor flipped through a few pages.

"Hello, Sweetie," River strode through the room, her curls flying behind her, "I seem not to have gotten the memo."

"River," the Doctor nodded.

"Need any help?" she asked.

"River?" John gaped at her. Rose looked between the two.

"Oh, hello," she looked at John.

"But, the library, Donna, you," he sputtered.

River smiled softly, "Spoilers," she lifted her finger to her mouth.

"Jack, a transmission from the Ood," Mickey interrupted.

The Doctor and Jack looked up at the screen. The Ood stood in their regular formation, with Ood Sigma front and centre. He held the glowing orb in front of him.

"Your song has ended, but the story goes," he looked between John and the Doctor, "we warn you. Four knocks will come again. Doctor Donna. The future is written. She sees the whole of time and space and creates herself-" the transmission faded away, leaving a blank screen.

"They weren't done!" the Doctor ran a hand through his hair. What did Donna have to do with any of this? Four knocks, he thought. _Wilf!_

Amy took Rory's hand, watching as John and the Doctor stared at Rose.

Rose's shoulders shook and she closed her eyes. John clutched her arms, making her face him. Her eyes were still closed.

"Rose, look at me!" John pleaded. She shook her head.

"Rose Marion Tyler-Smith, look at me," he repeated. The room was still and silent. Martha had buried her head in Mickey's chest, not wanting to look. Jack looked on breathless, while the Doctor wanted nothing more than to kiss her and make it all go away.

She opened her eyes, brown replaced by an amber-gold glow.

* * *

**I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed and added the story to their alerts and favorites. Please review, I like feedback.**


	7. The Bad Wolf

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**The Bad Wolf**

Her eyes glowed and John clutched on tighter to her arms, shaking her. His single heart beat rapidly in his chest, the anxiousness and fear growing. They had been living comfortable, relatively safe lives at home. He had gotten too used to the security, to the domestic. Now his wife was being possessed (again) and he refused to let her go. Images of Rose letting go of the lever at Canary Wharf infiltrated his mind. He narrowed his eyes at her, hoping she could find the strength to shake the Bad Wolf. She was clever and strong, she had to survive.

"Let her go!" he nearly growled. He wasn't going to lose her again, he refused.

"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself," Rose's voice boomed, echoing menacingly. Sound bounced off of the confines of the room, startling everyone in it.

"No, you're Rose, my wife," John insisted, sounding almost manic. His eyes were larger than saucers, and for a moment he felt as if he'd have a heart attack.

The Bad Wolf let out a hollow, defeaning laugh. Her eyes narrowed at him. Her feet floated a few inches off the ground, reaching eye level with John. He stared into her eyes and could see the scared, lost Rose staring back at him from behind the Wolf.

"Rose, love, don't let her control you. You're Rose Marion Tyler. Your mum's Jackie, your dad is Pete. You have a little brother named Tony," John began to state facts about her life.

The Doctor reached to touch her shoulder, and she tensed. He recoiled, feeling as if she had burned his hand.

"I sent a message to lead myself here," she repeated the words she had so long ago. The words from when he wore a leather jacket and had bright blue eyes. Words from when they were escaping Satellite 5.

"What's going on?" Amy looked at them, eyes wide. She clutched Rory's hand. He looked at her with the same startled expression. Martha had crossed her arms over her chest, shivering. Mickey's arm was wrapped around her. He looked at his childhood friend, nervous. The Doctor had moved to stand next to River, who was next to Jack.

"C'mon Rose," the Captain mumbled.

"Donna Noble," the Bad Wolf let out, "Find her."

"You are Rose Marion Tyler-Smith, you work at Torchwood. We have a tiny flat. I nearly blew up the kitchen trying to cook. I love _you. _Not Sarah Jane, not Reinette, you. The universe tried to keep us apart but it didn't work," John kept at his memories, hoping to spark Rose's. He was growing desperate. He moved to kiss her, to absorb the Bad Wolf as he had already done once before. "You can't just go swanning off," he repeated a phrase she had told him during their first meeting.

The glow in her eyes dulled, and she looked up at John. She jerked back, not wanting the kiss out of the fear that it would harm him.

"This is me, swanning off. See ya," she whispered his reply from what felt like ages ago.

She fell into his arms, eyes closed. John fell to the ground, cradling her in his arms.

"Rose, Rose," John ran his hands through her hair. He looked panicked, scared.

"Take her to the med-bay in the TARDIS," the Doctor said quickly.

John picked Rose up, carrying her. He ran as fast as he could with her in his arms. He reached their TARDIS and stood, gaping.

The assembled group walked towards the TARDIS, staring at the "BAD WOLF" scrawled across the doors.

* * *

Rose lay down on the make-shift bed, unmoving. John held her hand, not daring to leave her side. Her hand was cold and limp in his. The Doctor paced back and forth. Amy and Rory looked on in worry. Martha brought in a tray of tea from the kitchen, passing it around to everyone in an attempt to calm them.

"The particles left her when I kissed her," John muttured, "it's impossible that she's the Bad Wolf."

"Don't you dare kiss her. You'll die this time," Jack said warily.

"I don't care. As long as she's okay," John scowled.

"What good will her life be if you're dead?" River asked, arms crossed.

John looked up at her, glaring, "Who are you, River?"

River smiled softly, shaking her head, "Spoilers."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at her, wanting to know the response to that particular question.

"Think. When she went to get you, would she have enough time to do this?" Mickey asked. No, he thought. Rose wouldn't 'ave. She couldn't. She came back looking scared. She probably saw it but had no time to tell anyone.

"No. The paint's older than when she left," the Doctor waved him off, not letting John answer.

"There's something in her pocket," Martha pointed at the small white sliver poking out of her pocket.

John took out the note, reading it.

"Her handwriting," he said with a frown.

He licked the paper, grimacing.

"This is paper from 2013. Our world, not this world," he informed them.

River unconciously touched the transporter belt around her waist. The Doctor and John both trailed their gazes to her.

"We have those at Torchwood. She easily could've gotten one," John admitted.

"But not this Rose, a future Rose?" Rory asked.

John nodded.

"But what about Donna? And four knocks?" Amy asked, trying to make sense of the mess they have been thrown into.

John shrugged, having no bloody clue what that was all about. The Doctor ran a hand through his long hair, frowning.

"The Ood told me that four knocks will end my time in my tenth regeneration. Wilf, Donna's grandad, knocked four times when he was stuck inside a chamber. I got exposed to some radiation, and here I am. After visits to Jack and Rose, of course," the Doctor said, adding the last part sheepishly.

"New Years?" John asked. Rose had mentioned it earlier.

The Doctor nodded.

"I knew you sent Alonso my way," Jack grinned.

The Doctor rolled her eyes and Amy scoffed.

"That still doesn't explain anything!" the red head screeched.

John remained silent for several moments, tightening the grip on Rose's hand.

"Wilf must know where Donna is. We need to find her," John looked up at the group.

"She doesn't remember," the Doctor sighed.

"She will," came the soft murmur from Rose. Her eyes were half lidded, and she sounded as though all of her energy had been spent.

"What d'you mean?" John asked softly.

"I have the Bad Wolf's power, right?"

John nodded in the affirmitave. He ran his thumb over her cheek carefully.

"Then I can restore her memory without hurting her. It's worth a shot," she tried to sit up.

"No," John said immediately, "you can't go on with the Bad Wolf in you. You'll die."

_You wither up, and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone you-. He couldn't finish it then, but he could now. Imagine that happening to someone you love._ His words from years ago came to mind and he stared at Rose, glassy eyed.

"If I die, then I've had a hell of an adventure," Rose cracked a small smile.

"No," John shook his head, "I've lost you too many times."

Rose looked back with teary eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. The Doctor tore his gaze away from the pair, leading the rest of the group to the console room to give the couple some privacy.

"I think Jackie was right. We do just go looking for trouble," John cracked a pained grin.

Rose smiled, "Trouble's just the in-between bits."

"And it's going to be," John grinned, "Fantastic."

"So, we're going to try it, yeah?" she asked hopefully.

John nodded, enveloping her into another hug. He kissed her cheek and looked at her.

"Ready to save the world?" he asked.

"Always."

* * *

Mickey had entered the name 'Wilfred Mott' into the database, searching for his phone number. Martha sat close to him, rubbing her temples. Jack stood near the hallway, waiting for Rose and John. Amy and Rory felt useless and completely out-of-the loop. River and the Doctor spoke quietly.

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked her.

"I'm here to help," she said, "I know you still love her," she added sadly.

"I always will," he was surprised how easily he admitted it. Maybe John's talkative nature was rubbing off on him.

She looked down at the ground, sudddenly interested in her shoes. She looked up and gave him a bright smile. She left his side, leaving the Doctor to dive into his thoughts and memories. It hurt so much to see her in pain. It wasn't him she turned to, but to John. He stared at the console, recalling a time when Sarah Jane had commented that the TARDIS looked different. "I like it" Rose had interjected. Now, it was Rose who commented on the differences in the TARDIS. John licked it, for good measure. He closed his eyes and tried to pretend he was still in that body. He was quite fond of it, after all. Taller, more imposing. Terrible eyesight. Slightly bird-like, if he were honest. Long coats with pockets of knicknacks. Rose's hand firmly in his as they ran. He opened his eyes to see Martha give him a sad smile. Oh, how terrible had he been to Martha? Always comparing her to Rose was awful of him. He should have apologised many times by now, but he couldn't find the right words. Nevertheless, Martha flourished after leaving him. She had a tremendous career and a family.

A family. They had all formed families. Even Jack with his womanising (and manising) ways was surrounded by people who cared about him. The Doctor had a family once. He was a husband, a dad, and a grandfather to boot. And it all went away as fast as it came.

John and Rose walked into the room, Rose leaning on him for support. Her energy had been spent and she felt too weak to walk.

"Who could be behind all of this?" Rory asked.

"Daleks," John said.

"Cybermen," Rose said at the same time.

They sent each other a playful glare and the Doctor felt sick to his stomach.

"Maybe they're working together?" Amy suggested. Jack tilted his head to the side, considering it.

"They've tried that once," Rose drawled.

John nearly doubled over in laughter, "Not a war, pest control!"

Rose chuckled. Yes, that's what the Dalek said to the Cyberman. Hell, that sounded like a bad joke akin to "what did the _ say to the _?"

"How can you joke about that day?" the Doctor looked at them, disgusted.

Rose and John sobered, looking at him. Rose bit her lip.

"Because if we can't joke about it, then we're doomed to be depressed forever. It was the day I died, Doctor," Rose said quietly, relaxing into John's hold, "but like you said, I'm alive."

"Why dwell in the past?" John asked.

"Oh, shove off. We're the same person! I know what you were thinking, miserable and alone. I know what a downright manic-depressive state we were both in," the Doctor bit back.

"I was in one. You're in it now," John tried to reply as calmly as he could. All he needed was Rose to be happy. He felt a pang of guilt as he realised the Doctor probably needed her, too.

"Hate to interrupt this Doctor vs. Doctor match, but I've found Wilf's number," Mickey informed them.

* * *

**I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed and added the story to their alerts and favorites. Please review, I like feedback. I keep writing "Doctor" in reference to John, but I'm getting better at stopping myself. If it looks like David Tennant, talks like David Tennant, then it's the Doctor. **

**Does anyone else want a happy 10.5/Rose meet 11 episode in Series 6? I sure do. It'd be fantastic. **


	8. Musings

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**Musings**

Martha watched silently as Mickey searched for Wilf's number and address. Mobile or home phone, they didn't care, as long as they reached him. It had been one of the craziest days she had ever experienced, and she counted her time with the Doctor in the ranking, to boot. She looked to the bow-tied man, not quite believing he had changed. She kept expecting to see him donning his glasses and long coat. John wore that attire, now. She smiled softly, shaking her head. She sincerely hoped Rose would be alright. She and the Doc-erm, John, deserved to be happy. He had been a miserable bloke without her, and she had risked her life for him. Actually, both risked their lives for each other. Adrenaline junkies, both of them. Joking aside, they had bloody better well solve this whole rift thing so she and Mickey could get back to their lives.

She looked at her husband, memories of their wedding entering her thoughts. It was the happiest day of her life. The ceremony, the dinner, the smashing his face with cake. He was so loving, caring, smart, and funny. She briefly recalled that she had been engaged to another man, but it didn't feel so right. Mickey was exactly what she needed. She ran her hand over her stomach gingerly, biting her lip. She turned around, looking about the room. She saw the new companions, Rory and Amy, looking solemn.

"How long have you been traveling with the Doctor?" Martha asked them politely. She wasn't one for deafening silences. It reminded her too much of a hospital waiting room.

"A few months, a year? I honestly don't know," Amy shook her head. No one seemed to be able to keep track of time for too long when traveling with a Time Lord.

Rory scratched his chin, "Well, technically, you went missin' the day before our wedding. Then we were off for a few months."

"Yeah, but then we went back to the same day," Amy countered.

"It's confusing, yeah."

"So, did you meet anyone interesting during your travels? We, well, I, met Van Gogh," Amy blabbered.

"Shakespeare. Apparently I'm the "Dark Lady"," she replied.

"On about him again?" Mickey said, agitated. He narrowed his gaze. He wasn't as jealous of the ex-fiance as he was of Shakespeare. Bloomin' Shakespeare! How could he compete?

"Oh, Mick, I married you, not him," Martha grinned.

"Whatever," he mumbled.

"Van Gogh proposed, if it's any consolation," Amy offered.

"What?" Rory looked at his wife in surprise.

"I didn't mention that?" Amy asked innocently.

"No. You didn't," Rory almost growled. Could they turn the TARDIS around so he could give him a right punch?

"Must have forgotten," she looked sheepish.

Martha chuckled and Mickey rolled his eyes.

"Careful with the time travelin' mate," Mickey told Rory, "ya never know who they'll take a fancy to."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rory snorted. Amy and Martha shared a look of annoyance.

"So, you're a doctor," Amy said.

"Yeah. Mickey and I tried the freelance earth protector thing for a while, but then we went back to UNIT."

"I'm a nurse," Rory offered.

"Oh, cool. Sure the hospital doesn't miss you?" Martha asked. Finally, someone in the medical profession who would understand her!

"No idea. We took off the wedding night," Rory scratched the back of his head.

"You like time traveling?" Martha asked.

The two nodded.

"Rory took a shot for the Doctor." Amy looked at him sadly.

"Yeah, and then you forgot me," Rory attempted a chuckle.

"You fell through the crack, it wasn't my fault," she argued back.

"Oy, I was only kidding. I didn't wait for two thousand years just to have you bellow at me," Rory crossed his arms over his chest.

Martha looked at them, confused. She knew the best thing to do was nod along and just go with it. Yep, best thing to do.

Mickey tried to fight a laugh and turned back to scanning. Bloody hell! How many "Wilfred Motts" could there be in one city? He let out a frustrated sigh. It had been a long day and all he wanted to do was have a quiet evening with his wife. At least they were getting along well with the current companions. He hoped Rory didn't feel like the third wheel (or "Tin Dog") like he had during his travels with the Doctor. He and Rose had forgotten all about him while reminiscing, more than once. Holding that bloody button for a half hour, for nothing!

He looked to Jack to see him still in the hallway, looking worried. The Doctor, in all his new bowtie and tweed jacket-ness stood at River's side. John seemed to know River, but who was she? Not a companion, because she showed up later. He wrinkled his nose, recalling that Rose was willing to risk her life. Again. He wasn't about to sit back and let his childhood friend die. Surely John would do something to convice her otherwise. If she goes, he'd go right along with her. Oh, Jackie would bring them back to life and kill them both if they did that. He didn't doubt that for a moment.

Jack crossed his arms, taking a deep breath. He wished this little reunion was under different circumstances. He glanced to Martha, giving her a smile. She returned it. He always liked Martha. She was strong. How she ended up married to Mickey, he didn't know.

"Stop staring at my wife, cheesecake," Mickey snapped.

"It's beef cake," Jack corrected him with a grin. Mickey rolled his eyes.

The Doctor walked up to him slowly.

"You think Rose will go through with it?" he asked Jack.

"She's Rose. She's one of the most compassionate people on the planet-both of 'em. What do you think?" Jack shook his head.

The Doctor groaned, "I was hoping John could convince her otherwise."

"You don't want Donna to have her memory?" Jack raised his brow.

"Of course. Just not at the cost of someone else's life," he replied in a low voice.

Jack shook his head, "Doctor, you've got to let her go."

"I let her go the moment she kissed _him _on Bad Wolf Bay," he grimaced. The image of her kissing him was seared into his brain. Haunting his dreams, his memories. He should have said something, but he had been a coward, a right coward.

Jack let out a bitter laugh, "She wanted to stay with you, you daft man. But she's better off now."

"Right, better off," the Doctor nodded.

Rose and John walked into the room. The companions watched as John and the Doctor looked ready to tear off the other's head. Mickey piped up, wanting to avoid a Time Lord bloodbath.

Wilfred Mott, London, England UK. Home phone:- Address:

"How're you going to help Donna?" Amy asked Rose curiously.

The blonde bit her lip. "If I've got the entire vortex runnin' through my head, then I can absorb Donna's memories. It's gotta work."

John looked at her, "You'll burn up. Die."

"Maybe," Rose said sadly.

"Rose, are you sure about this?" John asked, looking her in the eye.

"Yes," she said, the faint gold glow slowly emmanating from her.

"Rose," John's voice cracked.

"Donna Noble. Everything we need is in Donna Noble. All lines point to her," her voice echoed.

The Doctor looked on hopelessly. The image of Rose Tyler, glowing, tears running down her cheeks was something he never wanted to see again. Yet there she was. John hugged her to his chest, not letting her go. He pulled away, eyes filled with tears. He was going to kiss her. No, the idiot!

"Stop!" the Doctor separated John from Rose.

"What're you doing?" John demanded angrily. How could the Doctor, the real one, stand to see Rose in pain and not do anything about it? He just didn't understand. Had all his feelings for Rose disappeared with the regeneration?

"You'll die. You keep forgetting you're a human now," he seethed at his human counterpart.

Rose's shoulders shook, still glowing "John, I want you to be safe."

"Rose," he cupped her cheek with his hand.

"You need to be safe. Get Donna," she demanded quietly before slumping into him.

He held her gingerly, cradling her head in his hands. He wasn't about to lose her again. It wasn't an option.

"You heard her. Go!" John roared.

The Doctor blinked, surprised by the rage emmanating from him. He moved to the console. Wilfred Mott, here they come.

* * *

The doctor and nurse stood at the foot of Donna Noble's bed, reading her charts.

"Is something wrong?" Wilf asked, worried.

"She's slipping in and out of conciousness. There's been no change in her, I'm afraid," he informed the elderly man.

_I'm right here!_ Donna wanted to scream. She felt trapped in her own mind, surrounded by vague memories. She always felt like a part of her was missing, some very important, pertinent part of her. She went about married life as a shell of what she should be. Like a huge piece of the puzzle was missing, or a very important organ. She should have been happy, married to a wonderful man. They were quite financially secure, with a mysterious lottery ticket showing up. Despite the apparent ease of her life, something was missing. Life was too mundane.

She could never lay her finger on it, but she was getting closer to the answer. Before, she would get a bit of whimsy when spotting an Agatha Christie novel. Her breath would catch at the sight of a police box. Why, she didn't know. All she knew was that a huge part of her very being, her very identity, had been destroyed and erased like she had never attained it in the first place. Sure, she was a bit vain. She had always been like that as far as she could remember. Except when the blurry vision of a vast universe came to her. Perhaps the universe wasn't as small and insignificant as she thought. She wasn't dumb, either. No, she had all that information, bouncing around in her head. But she was stuck. And it burned, and it hurt. She needed the Doctor. She remembered. The Adipose little fat babies, the volcano at Pompeii. Talking to Rose Tyler before she even recognised her. She remembered.

"Ahhh," she cried out, a searing pain shooting through her head.

"What's wrong?" Wilf demanded.

"Sir, you need to leave," the doctor ushered Wilf out of the room.

Bloody hell, she remembered. The TARDIS, the Ood, Rose, sending her a message. Bad Wolf. The fortune teller. Something on her back. A world without the Doctor. Meeting Rose on Christmas Eve, the star falling out of the sky, the Doctor dying, the hospital disappearing, Sarah Jane dying, the warning to get out of London, all of London being smashed by the Titanic, going to Leeds, stupid, bloody Leeds. That poor family getting sent to labour camps. What was it Rose had said? _The Doctor and Donna Noble, together, to stop the stars from going out. Turn Left! _The Daleks, the Doctor clone that she created. But most of all, she remembered him, her friend. She had looked for him for so long, and she found him! She wasn't about to forget him man who saved the world with no other weapon but a sonic screwdriver. The Doctor. She remembered the Doctor, the Space Man Doctor who flew about in a box bigger on the inside. Doctor Donna. She knew...everything. Dear God, she knew everything and her brain felt like it would explode.

"Doctor!" she yelled, writhing in pain. Where was the Space Man, Alien Boy when she needed him?

* * *

**I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed and added the story to their alerts and favorites. Please review, I like feedback. I have started early drafts of a prequel of sorts to this about John and Rose, but I will finish this before I commit to that one. I've been watching Series 4 again, so the lack of Donna in Series 5 is immense. I think it was about time the Doctor had a proper friend.**

**I apologize for the wait. Spring break is over, and I'm back to school and work. I'll try to write as much as I can. **

**I've been trying to get this up for about a week, but fanfiction wouldn't let me access the story page in 'My Stories'...odd.**

**Added note: April 23rd can't come soon enough! I'm quite liking the previews. "A pot of coffee, twelve jammy dodgers, and a fez" takes the cake.**


	9. Choices

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**Choices**

Coordinates were set. The Doctor was manning the console, Jack, Mickey, Martha, and River helping him steer. Rory took hold of a lever, helping as much as he could. The TARDIS really wasn't meant to be steered by only one person. The group hit various buttons and chatted quietly, enjoying the company. Yet, danger was looming, so none could smile as genuinely as they liked.

"Not the wobbly lever!" the Doctor shouted at him, terse, as Rory reached for the wrong lever.

"Ah, use the timey one," John offered his expertise from the corner.

"Geronimo!" the Doctor shouted as he hit the vortex manipulator.

"What?" John looked up at the Doctor, shocked.

"I say 'geronimo' now. 'Geronimo' is cool," he defended himself.

"Allons-y is a classic. And so much better," John began what would be a rant, "not only has your sense of style digressed-I mean, we looked so spiffy. First the leather jacket, then the brown coat and trainers. Something must have gone wrong in your regeneration, I mean, suspenders, tweed? And on top of it all, you've gone bonkers! Absolutely bonkers. 'Geronimo' is so not cool-"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. Of course, being part Donna, John was bound to be even more verbose than originally, and even more insulting. John let out a chuckle, remembering when Donna had called him bonkers. "_Is that what you do then? Lop a bit off and grow another one? You're like worms!"_

"Doctor," Rose's soft voice interrupted him. John looked at her, smiling slightly at the name she called him by.

"Yes?"

"Allons-y," she murmured.

"Quite right," John kissed the top of her head.

The Doctor cleared his throat, looking back down at the console. He shouldn't have been surprised that she called him 'Doctor'. Just because he expected it, didn't mean that the reality of it didn't hurt, though. Jack clapped a hand on his shoulder, only for the Doctor to shrug him off. River raised a brow but said nothing. Though the Doctor's actions were devoted to the console, his gaze was trained on Rose.

A weak Rose rested in John's arms. He brushed his hands through her hair slowly, trying to calm them both. She was so small. Her head was propped up against his chest, her hands curled into fists. Her breathing had steadied, but her pulse was still rapid.

Amy watched on, feeling quite useless. She wanted to help with something, anything! The console was manned. She was the odd-man (woman) out. She tried to say something but the concentrated, devasting look on the Doctor's face made her stop before she even started. It had dawned on her that she was wasn't as special as she thought she was. Here were all these people who loved the Doctor, and who he loved back. She wasn't the first to travel with the Doctor, and she surely wouldn't be the last. She sent a glance to Rose and John, huddled together in the corner. A smile tugged at her lips before she remembered how angry the Doctor had been moments before, how sad and lost he had seemed. She didn't hate Rose. She couldn't. She had done nothing wrong. She couldn't hate John, either. It wasn't his fault he was created. Wasn't his fault the Doctor abandoned him.

She returned her attention back to the console, grinning to see Rory and Mickey exchanging advice, aiding in the manning of the TARDIS. He had relaxed a lot after the wedding. No longer did he feel tense talking to the Doctor. In fact, the two goofed off quite a bit. Amy bit her lip. Amy's choice, Rory. She chose Rory. No longer were he and the Doctor competing, the never really were. She stopped suddenly. She chose Rory. Jack chose Torchwood. Martha and Mickey chose each other. And Rose chose John. That just left the Doctor, alone, just as he started. Behind the bouncing energy and quirkiness, there was lonely man hiding behind the facade.

The TARDIS came to a screeching halt.

"Donna Noble, here we come," the Doctor gave a watery smile.

* * *

The hospital. The TARDIS had them end up at the hospital. The Doctor looked confused, before John suggested that the TARDIS knew inherently where Donna was. Martha snorted. This was the very hospital she met the Doctor in. The very hospital that ended up on the moon. She had been assigned the task of asking for Donna, as she was an actual doctor. The Doctor handed her the psychic paper, as she didn't have her old badge with her. She just hoped no one would recognise her.

Ten minutes and a few ducks into a janitor's closet later, Martha rushed back to the TARDIS.

"Second floor, third door on the left. She's had a breakdown!" she shouted.

The Doctor leapt to the door, holding it open for John, who helped Rose steady herself. The three made their way into the building, Martha following them. The rest decided to stay behind, as not to attract unnecessary attention. Mickey tossed a walkie-talkie to Martha, nodding to her as she took off behind them.

"Good luck, Rose," he said quietly.

All that was left for them to do was wait. None of them were particularly fond of waiting.

* * *

Wilf couldn't bear to see Donna tied up to so many tubes and machines. She was awake, but unable to say anything after her outburst. Her eyes cried out for help, panic evident on her face.

The door burst open loudly, startling the old man. He looked up, surprise etching his weathered features as he saw John and Rose.

"Doctor!" he shouted, standing.

"Wilf, I am not the same Doctor. There's no time to explain now," John said hurriedly.

Donna let out a cry of pain.

"Doctor, she's burning," Rose said gravely, moving towards the bedside. She blinked back tears. Oh, Donna Noble, how the universe needed her. She was the most important woman on the planet, and she was forced to forget all of that.

Martha and the Doctor stood at the entry way.

"I remember you," Wilf told Rose. She acknowledged him with a nod.

"Donna, it's Rose. I'm going to help you, alright?" she asked.

Donna blinked, nodding and trembling.

Rose placed her hands on either side of Donna's head, absorbing all of the Doctor's knowledge. She glowed brightly, pupils dilating and glowing an amber colour. The Doctor wanted to stop her, but Martha was physically restraining him. Her stern look said everything. This was Rose's choice.

Donna slowly say up, golden dust leaving her eyes, entering Rose's. All of the pain of the knowledge of the universe was leaving her, alleviating her head. Images of the Doctor, the Ood, the Daleks, the thing on her back, the TARDIS, it all came back to her. It was clear. No longer was everything a blur. The decisions she made throughout her life led her to this very point. She had her memory back, and it didn't hurt.

Rose's eyes grew wider, the bright yellow light emmanating from her body. Her hair whirled behind her, though there was no wind. It hurt. The Time War flashed before her eyes. She never wanted to see anything so terrible, yet in her short life, she had. Whole species being wiped out. The Doctor losing his family. Oh, his wife. His children. Grandchildren. Wholes of towns. Tears streaked down her cheeks, the glow fading. She removed her hands from Donna's head, offering a weak smile.

"It's you!" Donna beamed at the blonde, hugging her gently.

"It's me," Rose mumbled.

"How'd you do it?"

"Bad Wolf, at your service."

Donna got out of the bed, wobbly on her legs. She launched herself at John, hugging him tightly. Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to cry. No way would she be a bubblering mess during their reunion.

"It's you," she breathed.

"Oh, yes," he chuckled, glad to have his friend back.

"Partners in crime, us two," she nearly crushed him, "still a tall stick of nothing, space man."

"Oi. Can it, earth girl," John answered.

Donna pulled away, brow raised, "You're..." she looked to Rose.

"Yep. I'm Handy," he waved his hand.

She snorted, giving him another hug, "I'm glad to see you two together. But where's the Doctor, the alien one?"

"Right here," the Doctor piped up, stepping into the room.

Donna gave him a once-over. Younger. Bloody wanker, he got younger. And thinner.

"This innit fair! You've gotten even skinnier," she pouted.

The Doctor chuckled, completely caught off-guard when she gave him a hug just as bone-crushing as the one she gave John. The Doctor smiled broadly.

"You're still the Doctor," she whispered.

She pulled away from him, hands on his elbows.

"And your hair is still just an awful mess."

Oh yes, Donna Noble was back.

* * *

Donna grinned broadly, hugging Jack. He pulled away from her so she could give Martha and Mickey a proper hug before being introduced to Amy, Rory, and River.

"Nope. Come back," she tugged on his arm.

Jack laughed, shaking his head. At least this time she didn't shove an unsuspecting person like Sarah Jane out of the way.

"You can hug me. Later," she said.

"Donna, you're a married woman," Wilf admonished his granddaughter. He was still trying to wrap around his mind what had just happened. Needless to say, despite the confusion, he was overjoyed.

"Fat load of good, always bein' at work," she grumbled.

"Doctor?" Wilf asked, raising a finger.

"Yes?" John and the Doctor chorused, before sending each other a heated look.

"Why's the TARDIS different?" Wilf queried.

"He blew it up," John pointed to the Doctor.

"Only because _your _self-pitying, over-dramatic body didn't want to leave!" the Doctor replied snappishly.

"Oh, don't get your bowtie in a twist," John waved him off.

The Doctor muttured something underneath his breath before stalking off, sulking in the corner. In two seconds flat, Donna was by his side.

"It suits you, the jacket and bowtie," she complimented.

"Thanks," he replied tersely.

"Even though you don't look like the Doctor we all know and love, we know that you're the same. Same feelings, same person, same face. Younger, which I don't understand and envy, but the same," Donna smiled, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. The Doctor and Donna, as it should be. Best of friends.

He offered a half-smile, "Did you meet Amy and Rory?"

"You just love us gingers, don't you?" she jibed.

"I'm disappointed he's not ginger," John joked as a sort of peace-offering. Rose lightly socked him in the arm. The 'blew it up' thing was a friendly joke. Apparently, this was lost on the Doctor. Too early to make jokes. Duly noted.

"I hate to be a downer, but aren't there more pressing matters at hand?" Amy piped up.

"Right. What's going on?" Donna asked.

"There's a rift in the universe. What else is new?" Rose deadpanned.

"Oi!" Donna groaned, causing Rose to laugh.

Mid-chuckle, Rose's shoulders began to shake. John's eyes widened as she began to glow. Oh dear God, it hurt. Her head. She was fine a moment ago, but it hurt. She clutched her head, the knowledge of the Timelords searing her brain, burning it from inside out.

"Doctor," she whispered, face wet with tears.

"Oh, you're not leaving me again, Rose Tyler," John cradled her head gently. The two slid to the TARDIS floor, the humming noise deafening.

"Doctor, I love you," she looked at John, wincing in pain. She knew, it was her time to go.

"Rose, you're going to be fine. You're going to be fine," he whispered over and over again.

He looked around the room madly, "Do something!" he demanded.

The Doctor whispered into his ear.

"The Med-Bay will do nothing. You know as well as I do what'll happen," John seethed, angered that the Doctor could even suggest something like that.

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair, heart breaking at the sight of a dying Rose Tyler. Regeneration be damned. Before he could intervene, John pushed him away.

"Fine. If you won't do anything, I will," he spat.

John looked to Rose, features softening.

"Doctor," her voice cracked when she realised what was happening. He couldn't. He couldn't leave her again. Tears welled in her eyes not from the pain, but from the knowledge that John may not wake up next to her in the morning.

"I love you. More than anything. It's been an adventure, Rose Tyler," he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her lips, to draw out the Bad Wolf once more.

Rose looked at John helplessly, shaking her head. His lips were mere millimeters away from hers.

"Stop!" the Doctor pushed John away, enraged.

"What are you doing?" John roared, "I can't let her die!"

"You keep forgetting you're human. You won't regenerate! You'll die. You'll die, leaving her alone and miserable for the rest of her life!" the Doctor shouted, red-faced, "Who knows if it'd even work? You're a bleedin' human. You may have the knowledge, but your powers..." he trailed hopelessly.

"You won't do anything to help her, so I will. My life means nothing if she's not alive. It's worth a shot," he looked worriedly at Rose, concern and panic mounting.

"I think you need a doctor," John whispered, "I love you."

"No. Please," she shook, nearly spastic. Her eyes glowed as the Bad Wolf tried to take control.

The Doctor felt like he would vomit. He stood there, powerless. Donna's hands were clapped over her mouth while she watched in horror. Amy hid her face in Rory's shoulder, crying silently. Mickey reached out to grab John's shoulder, only for him to slap it away. Martha wracked her brain for possible ways to help her all the while she cried. Jack slumped onto the ground, next to the Doctor. River lingered by the TARDIS door, not able to watch the scene before her. Self-sacrificing, always. Even as a human, the Doctor was selfless to a 'T'. She slipped out of the TARDIS unnoticed, and determined. That note meant Rose Tyler had lived. It was in her handwriting, after all. Parallel Earth, 2013, here she comes.

Before the Doctor could stop him, John pressed his lips to Rose's, kissing her. Rose's Doctor, John Noble Smith, had made his choice.

* * *

**I'd like to thank everyone w****ho has reviewed and added the story to their alerts and favorites. Please review, I like feedback. **

**Woot, Donna is back in the TARDIS! I do think it's getting a little crowded in there, but the more the merrier.**

**I tried to get this up earlier to make up for the long wait last chapter.**

**Added note: Anyone else think that the markings on Amy's face in the new series trailer look like the markings from "Satan's Pit"? I wonder if there's a connection...**


	10. Reprive

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**Reprive**

River Song looked around the empty streets. It was quiet, too quiet. And eerie. She glanced about, looking up at the mansion in front of her. The Tyler's mansion. She checked her belt. 2015, quite late. Why had her transporter gotten her there two years after the fact? She shook her head, curls bobbing up and down. She needed to find Rose and John. She debated buzzing in. Hell, she didn't even know if John and Rose lived there. She shook her head, deciding against it. She took out her phone, searching the name 'Rose Tyler'. She got results about Torchwood, her husband Dr. John Smith of Torchwood, and...their infant daughter. River smiled softly. Good on them. Now she couldn't help but feel guilty that she'd be throwing chaos into their lives when they've finally seemed settled.

Surprisingly, she found the address to a flat. She clicked in the address, showing up right in front of it. She looked around, not believing her good fortune when she saw an older Rose and John walking along the street, cooing over a baby tram. She moved closer to them.

"And that right there, is the sun, little one," John murmured to the baby as the sun set. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms, her light blonde hair glistening in the spring light. Rose pointed to the sky, smiling.

"We were there, once," she said as if it were a secret.

"You'll go too, one day, little duck," John promised, "all the planets and stars in the sky are waiting for you."

Rose began to hum, brushing the baby's cheek gently.

"Look at the stars, look how they shine for you," John grinned, "they shine for you, indeed."

"We should head inside. It's a bit chilly," Rose decided.

"Right. Allons-y," John grinned.

River shook out of her daze. She had been so absorbed in watching the couple and the baby that she had forgotten why she was there in the first place. Now she was even more determined to make sure that they got to have the chance to have a family.

"Rose, John," she called out after them.

The pair stopped short at her voice, looking at her with wide eyes. Rose blinked before biting her lip.

"We were expecting you a few years ago," she told River.

"How? How are you both alive?" she asked.

The couple shared a smile.

* * *

The golden dust settled into John's eyes, leaving Rose once and for all. He smiled lightly at her. She sat up, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He returned the hug. Any moment now, he'd be gone. He wanted the last minutes of his life to be with Rose. It had been quite an adventure.

"Don't leave me. God, don't leave me, please," Rose whispered, frightened. No, no, no. They had finally gotten their lives together. They were doing domestic, and here it was slipping through her fingers.

"Shh," John rubbed her back soothingly.

"It's all my fault. Why'd you help me?" Donna choked back a sob. She felt wretched.

"You're the most important woman in all of creation, Donna. I had to help you," Rose said quietly.

The TARDIS console began to glow, the heart of the TARDIS opening up. John stood, walking towards it as if in a trance.

"What's goin' on?" Rose stood slowly, drawn to it as well.

At that moment, River burst through the door, watching the scene before her with a smile on her face, tears of joy in her eyes. It was exactly as she was told. The gold dust particles left John, entering the heart of the TARDIS. How had it opened on its own? Mickey recalled having to pry it open before. All the knowledge of the Time Lords that had burdened Rose, and the Bad Wolf, flittered through, dancing in the air as they left John once and for all. The cover closed once more, and the glow subsided.

"What the hell was that?" Jack asked.

"The TARDIS," Rose breathed heavily.

"It can grant people's inner wishes," John murmured, gaping at it.

"Oh, well done, old girl," the Doctor told the TARDIS and offered a small smile. How had he not even thought of that?

Rose and John rushed to one another, hugging each other tightly. Rose kissed him, worries no longer a weight on her shoulders. The Doctor looked away. Donna put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"So what's this about rifts?" Wilf asked.

* * *

With Wilfred Mott safe at home (despite protests that he was still strong enough to fight anything that came his way) and Rose and John alive and well (despite tired and drained) the Doctor and his companions decided to scan for the rift once more.

"What was that place we went to last time?" Donna asked suddenly.

"Which place?" the Doctor asked, "the Shadow Proclamation?"

Donna snorted, "As much as I adore our exit, I mean the other place."

The Doctor's brow furrowed.

"Medusa Cascade?" John supplied warily.

"That one!" Donna pointed at John.

Mickey groaned, "Honestly? How many times can the same ruddy thing happen? It's like earth's in danger every year."

Rose and Martha shared a laugh while the Doctor and John shared a knowing smile. Oh, Mickey didn't know the half of it. Amy crossed her arms, the emotional turmoil of the past day finally getting to her.

"How 'bout we call it a night?" she asked.

"We could set up shifts for monitoring the rift. Each person gets an hour, and then we switch off," Rory suggested to the other nine people assembled.

"Fine. Who goes first?" Jack asked.

"Seeing as we've had near death experiences, we're going to bed," Donna pointed to herself, Rose, and John.

"Right, go on. I'll go first," River volunteered.

"Time Lords don't need sleep. I'll stay with you," the Doctor told her.

"You really should try it sometime. It's wonderful," John suggested as he walked past, heading towards Rose's old room.

Rose snorted, "You're too difficult to wake up."

"Oi! I went 900 years without sleeping properly. I'm making up for lost time," John defended himself, his voice fading as they exited the console room.

Donna sent a wink to Jack before taking off. He made a face of confusion and mild fear.

Mickey snickered at his predicament before offering to take the next shift. Then Martha, then Jack, and finally Amy and Rory. That should allow everyone at least a few hours of sleep.

* * *

The Doctor stared at the console. Who or what could be doing this? What was the aim of splitting the universe apart. Sure, he appreciated the reunion with all his friends. He stopped short. Every single one of his most recent companions were assembled in the TARDIS. All of his friends. His mind began to work at a rapid pace as he put the pieces of the puzzle together.

River turned her attention from the computer to the Doctor, worry etching her face when she saw how pale he had gotten.

"Doctor?" she shook him out of his thoughts, quite forcefully.

"I think I know," he said quietly, a steely glare in place.

* * *

Rose rested against John's chest, her eyes heavy. She held on tightly to him to make sure he was still there. John rubbed her side reassuringly, silently thanking the TARDIS. It hadn't even occurred to him that what gave Rose the power of the Bad Wolf could take it away. He smiled lightly, kissing her cheek.

"What's that for?" she asked with a smile.

"We're alive," he responded.

She chuckled, "We somehow to barely make out of it in one piece."

"We're very good runners," John observed.

Rose shook her head and closed her eyes. The hum of the TARDIS, the sound she had so sorely missed, soothed her. She could feel the TARDIS talking to her, lulling her to sleep. John shifted to get into a more comfortable position and fell asleep.

* * *

Donna looked around her old room, the smile not dropping from her face. Oh, this was brilliant! He had kept everything. Her luggage, her hat box, the necklace she wore when they met Agatha Christie. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she refused to cry. No, this was a good thing, a fabolous, wonderful thing. She was in the TARDIS, and once again, her life made sense. Sure, being married was nice, but this is where the adventure was. She wasn't joking when she had told the Doctor that she intended to travel with him forever. She sighed, flopping down on the bed. Now, it was more complicated. She was a married woman. They'd have children, eventually. Shaun was a good man, and she didn't want to leave him. She briefly considered if he'd still love her when he realised that her personality was different. She had become a better woman, a smarter, more worldly woman during her previous travels. She wondered if he'd think she was completely bonkers, talking about an alien who time travelled. She was no longer Donna Temple-Noble. She was once again Donna Noble, (and as Rose had said), the most important woman in all of creation. Her destiny was inexplicably tied and interwoven with the Doctor's. Now she had a decision to make.

* * *

"Who? Daleks?" River asked, demanding an answer.

"No," the Doctor shook his head, wishing it were that obvious.

"Then?" River persisted. She was afraid to hear the answer.

"The personification of all evil inside of me. My inner darkness. I thought I had gotten rid of him," the Doctor ran a hand through his hair.

River stared at him.

"He's here. He's hiding, but he's always here. Right here in this very console," he hit his hand against the console, the sound deafening in the nearly empty room.

"But how is the rift being caused?" River asked, wanting the logic of how whatever he was cause the universe to tear.

"He's been in the TARDIS. Everywhere we went, he could alter timelines, destroy the planets in our wake without us ever knowing it," the Doctor tried to wrap his head around the entire thing.

River's eyes widened, and she pointed to something behind the Doctor. He turned around to face a balding man wearing a tweed jacket and a red bowtie, smiling slyly at him, just as he had from inside the console.

* * *

**I'd like to thank everyone w****ho has reviewed and added the story to their alerts and favorites. Please review, I like feedback. It'd be amazing if this story can get to 50 reviews for the tenth chapter.**

**Can you guess who the man is? I do believe I've made it quite obvious.**

**To MegWolf: In the last chapter, I was toying with John's darker, more bitter side. After all, the Doctor did just dump him in another world, and the likelihood that Rose wouldn't love him was very much real. I think being back in the TARDIS with the real Doctor and a potentially dying Rose would make him go a bit off the deep end. After all, he has nothing else to live for at that point. His love for Rose ended up driving him to risk his life, even if it meant she'd be alone once more. He's a lot more rash than the Doctor, so I thought it would be fitting. I'm actually in the midst of an early draft of a prequel to this involving him and Rose.**

**And to sonofafluffymuffin: I am in fact a 'Miss'.**

**As for the identity of River, I really don't know. Moffat could do anythin g with it. I for one hope it's not Amy. Or his mother. Or sister. Or anyone related to him. I randomly thought it could be Romana, as she is a Time Lady, but if she is a Time Lady, then she'd be dead. Unless she somehow became human or escaped the Time War. I'm open to anything, though.**

**Thank you every one for your reviews, it means a lot to me that you take the time to leave a comment.**


	11. Dreamland

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call. **

**Warning: There are some spoilers for Torchwood's latest season, just a heads up.**

**Dreamland**

The Doctor stared down the Dream Lord, seething. His face turned red as the Dream Lord smirked at him, obviously pleased with himself.

"What do you want, now?" the Doctor asked angrily.

"Not what I want. What you want," he replied smugly.

"I want you to leave," the Doctor said.

The Dream Lord shook his head, finding the Doctor amusing. This was perfect. All of his favourites were assembled in the TARDIS, sleeping like lambs. He snickered. Oh, this would be fun.

* * *

Rose looked around, confused. Last thing she remembered was John mumbling in his sleep about the possibility that the chameleon circuit in their TARDIS could work. Now she was standing on Darlig Ulv Stranden with John, looking equally confused. He scratched his head, looking about.

"Huh. This is quite peculiar," he murmured, looking around.

"Doctor," Rose said worriedly, eyes widening. Bad Wolf Bay only held pain for her. She wanted to be back on the TARDIS, sleeping soundly next to her husband. Was it too much to ask for?

"Hello!" a man wearing tweed popped up next to them.

Rose yelped, latching on to John's arm.

"Of course. Hold on to him," he drawled, eyes icy.

"Who are you?" John asked, brow raised.

He looked offended, "I am the Dream Lord."

John furrowed his brow, confused. The Valeyard he knew of, but the Dream Lord was unfamiliar to him.

"So this is a dream?" Rose asked, feeling a slight wave of relief. She should probably lay off the chocolates before bed, then.

"Choose, Rose Tyler," his features hardened.

"What?" she shook her head, not quite understanding.

He pointed to the beach. Rose turned around and saw the fully Time Lord Doctor when he still looked like John. Her eyes widened, not believing her eyes.

"It's the Doctor," she whispered, stepping forward a little. Her hand was still clapsed around John's, and she could feel him tense.

"Yes. The Doctor. The man that you love. The man who left you. Except now, he wants you back. He's always wanted you," the Dream Lord cooed.

"He's regenerated. Why doesn't he look regenerated?" Rose asked quickly. She stared at the Doctor, who wore his chucks and long coat, hands buried in his pockets. His messy hair was touseled by the breeze.

The Dream Lord smirked, "If you had stayed with him, you could've saved him. He wants you back. Rose Tyler could be with the Doctor, once more."

Rose blinked back tears. "Rose!" the Doctor yelled, voice strained, cracking. She wiped her face before burying her head in John's chest.

"Choose, Rose. Him, or the clone?" the Dream Lord's smirk widened when he saw John's face harden and Rose go pale.

Rose began to fume, "He's not a clone! He's his own person, and I love him! That Doctor-" she pointed to the image of him, "isn't _my_ Doctor. John is."

John looked at her, smiling softly. Oh yes, she was brilliant.

"This is a dream, anyway," he said aloud, trying to get rid of the Dream Lord, "you can't have control over the real world. I call your bluff."

The Dream Lord shook his head. Dammit. John was too clever for his own good. And, he had been so sure she would have chosen the real Doctor.

"He's got to move on," Rose said quietly, "I'll always love him, but he's all alone. It's not really fair, is it? John and I have each other, and he's by himself."

"It's the curse of being Time Lord Victorious," John sympathised. How could he not understand? He had been in the same situation before. He knew the pain and longing all too well.

The Dream Lord sobered, his cockiness subsiding. Rose Tyler had chosen, and it wasn't the Doctor. _The _Doctor was no longer _her_ Doctor.

* * *

Donna looked around the living room, feeling like she got hit in the head by a stapler. Was it all a dream? The Doctor, Rose, John, did she imagine it all? Shaun was reclining on the couch, reading the paper.

"Shaun," Donna said quietly.

"Yes, dear?" he looked up at his wife.

Donna smiled tightly, shaking her head, "Nevermind."

Shaun chuckled and said something about her head being in the clouds. Oh, he had no idea. Her house looked the same. Same tacky decorations. Same light, same furnishings. But something was amiss.

Just then, a little girl with dark hair and blue eyes (her eyes, Donna noticed) came bounding into the living room, waving a teddy bear in the air.

"Mummy, mummy, come play!" she tugged on her arm.

_Mummy? _Donna's heart began to beat quickly in panic. Never had she imagined herself a mum. She had a daughter. Why didn't she remember having a daughter? She suddenly felt weak, and collapsed.

* * *

Captain Jack Harkness was at Torchwood, staring at the file in front of him. _Ianto_. He bit his lip, not letting himself cry. No. He was gone, and there's nothing he could do about it. He had to move on. He looked around the empty room, letting his thoughts wander. Gwen. What was he going to do about Gwen? She was getting married to Rhys, the prick. But, he couldn't commit. It wasn't in his nature. Maybe he was destined to be alone, just like the Doctor. His life was the way it was supposed to be. There was nothing to change. Even if he wanted to go back and save Ianto, he couldn't. He died saving children. Jack let a single tear slide down his cheek. He would mourn. It was inevitable. He would never die. If only he could transfer that immortality to Ianto, then...He shook his head. Yes, he would mourn. He just didn't expect it would take him so long to do so. Throwing himself in another adventure distracted him, but not long enough.

"You can save Ianto," the Dream Lord popped up, sitting on his desk.

"Who the hell are you and why are you on my desk?" Jack growled.

"The Dream Lord. Why don't you ask your dear Doctor to take you back to save him?" he said airily.

Jack scowled, "He doesn't believe in messing with history or timelines."

"He's a time traveler. He can do whatever he wants. He picks up companions and then dumps them. All of them."

"He did not 'dump' me," Jack argued.

"Pity you're so blinded by your loyalty. He could take you back, but he won't. He only changes the timeline when he finds it fitting."

He disappeared as soon as he'd appeared, leaving Jack to stir in his anger.

* * *

Donna cracked an eye open, relieved to find herself back in the TARDIS. The Doctor was resting against the console, stoic. He looked up at her. His bloodshot eyes and the bags underneath them surprised her.

"Doctor, what's going on?" she asked hesitantly.

"It's the Dream Lord. He's been doing this. Now he's going and making everyone choose. Their lives, or me," he said miserably.

"Who?"

"He's created from my darkest thoughts, my inner evil," he said.

Donna stepped back slightly, not quite believing it, "so this right here, this is a dream?"

The Doctor nodded, "Apparently, you've been travelling with me for the past year in this dream."

Donna's eyes brightened, and the Doctor smiled slightly. Her mind was filled with all of the adventures they could have together, just like old times. Her smile faltered and the Doctor looked at her quizically.

"In the other dream, I had a daughter. It's not true, is it? That's not my future," she asked.

"Your future is whatever you want it to be," the Doctor anwered. Donna with a daughter. Huh.

"I want to stay with you," she announced.

"You're married," he pointed out.

Donna shook her head, "He's always on business trips. He's home only a few months the year. I miss him, yeah, but I'd miss you more."

The Doctor sighed, "You can't stay with me."

"But we're the Doctor Donna! Partners in crime! Space man and Earth girl, we're supposed to be together," she said in exasperation, "I tried so hard to find you again. And then I forgot, but now that we're together again, I'm not just going to let it go!" she sounded nearly desperate, pleading with him.

The Doctor mulled it over, thinking everything through. What if...no. He couldn't tear her away from her life.

"Doctor," Donna said seriously, "maybe we could compromise."

Donna Noble was not about to let him get away with sending her back to earth to lead a hum-drum existence. Her mum still was disappointed in her. Her husband was never home due to work. Her only constant companion was her granddad. When he was looking at the stars, he looked so expectant, like he was waiting for something. Before getting her memory back, Donna thought he had gone bonkers, but he was waiting for the Doctor. They all were. She needed to be with him. She didn't look for him for nothing. They needed eachother. Proper mates, they were. She was certain she could get along with Amy and Rory, if that's what he was concerned about.

The Doctor looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"I go with you when Shaun's away. I can call home and everything on my mobile. And..." she trailed off when she saw the Doctor's face fall.

"Donna, it's dangerous. What if you get hurt?" he didn't want to be the one to go up to Shaun and say 'Ello, I'm the Doctor, an alien. Your wife's been traveling with me but she got seriously injured'. Yeah, that'd work.

"Don't care, Spaceman. Either you let me go with you, or you drop me off at home and never hear from me again," she said.

The Doctor looked down at the floor, before looking up with a grin, "Welcome back, Donna."

She smiled, throwing her arms around his scrawny chicken neck.

"Whole universe, where'd you want to go?" he asked.

"First, let's take care of this Dream Lord bloke, then we'll see," she answered happily.

* * *

River song breathed shakily. The gun in her hand felt heavy. Why was she reliving this moment, her worst hour? She was a murderer. Was she getting a chance to fix everything? No, she couldn't. She couldn't alter history.

"You don't need to do this," his voice was deep, his eyes wide. He raised his hand, attempting to calm her.

She shook her head, "But I do."

"Time can be rewritten," he tried to convince her.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, my love," she pulled the trigger, watching him fall to the ground, hand on his chest.

Oh dear God, what had she done? She held the gun in her hand limply, shaking. She dropped it to the ground as it clattered, slipping to the ground with it. She took a deep breath, holding her head in her hands, looking at his lifeless form.

* * *

**Question: Who do you think River is? And who did she kill? I'm inclined to believe she's either Romana or another Time Lady, or even the TARDIS. Who else would know the Doctor's name. I've also heard the suggestions that she's the Master's wife, or the Master himself. **

** I just love Donna. I was watching 'Partners in Crime' and 'Fires of Pompeii' as I wrote this. I liked seeing Karen Gillan as a soothsayer, too. Donna's probably my favorite companion, then Rose, Wilf, Jack, River, and Rory. I mean, her "You just fought her off with a water pistol. I bloody love you!" is brilliant. And she challenges the Doctor, but won't let him make the decisions on his own. She convinces him to save the family, after all, after helping him make Vesuvius explode.**

** I like Rory more than Amy. Why, I'm not sure. I think it's because he's so loyal. And a nurse.**

**I saw an ad on BBC America with Eccleston in it, and I got very nostalgic. I miss him and Tennant terribly, and would love to see old companions together again, but Moffat is apparently against that idea.**

**I'd like to thank everyone w****ho has reviewed and added the story to their alerts and favorites.**

**Thank you every one for your reviews, it means a lot to me that you take the time to leave a comment.**


	12. Awakenings

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**Awakening**

River's eyes fluttered open. She looked around. TARDIS. She was in the TARDIS, in the console room. The Doctor was just awakening from what appeared to be a deep sleep. He ran his hand through his hair and looked at her. She noted the bags under his eyes. Somehow, he looked older, worse for the wear.

"What was that?" she asked, her heart beating rapidly. She seriously thought she had killed a man.

"That was the Dreamlord," the Doctor said gruffly.

River nodded, taking in everything. Suddenly, Donna Noble came barelling into the console room, looking ecstatic.

"Oi! You! You better keep your word!" she poked at the Doctor.

"It was a dream," the Doctor said.

"I know. But I meant what I said. After we fix this mess, I'm not leaving," she said decidedly, crossing her arms across her chest for further effect. She would get to travel with the Doctor, and she was thrilled. There was so much to see, and so little time. She was like a junkie, her drug of choice, traveling in the TARDIS.

"So, you two had the same dream?" River guessed.

They nodded.

"Where's he?" Donna looked around.

"He'll pop up when you least expect it," the Doctor answered. He set the console to drift in the time vortex. They needn't be anywhere. Everything could be solved within this very room. If only his plan would work.

* * *

He held her in his arms as she cried. John ran his fingers gently through her blonde locks as Rose cried into his shoulder. The Doctor had looked the way he was supposed to. She could have saved him, but she didn't. She had her life with John, but she still felt awful. She knew it was a dream, but part of her had this nagging feeling that the Dreamlord had been right. She could have saved him.

John didn't ask any questions. Nor did he get jealous. After all, he was still part of the Doctor.

She remembered how the Doctor had come to her, before she even knew he existed. There, standing in all his finery, he said goodbye to her on New Years in 2005. Her heart broke just thinking about it-him, alone as he regenerated in the TARDIS. She couldn't take another face change, though. His attitude was greatly altered, as well. He acted as if she never existed, as if she never meant anything to him.

"He still loves you," John whispered, almost comfortingly.

She shook her head. He may still care about her, but she didn't sense any sort of love from him. He was so aloof and professor-like. He kept his distance from all of his human friends. Yet his former self was so loving, and passionate. Taking the time to go about saying goodbye. She and Martha spoke shortly, realising that he had made his goodbye to her and Mickey as well. Martha admitted that Mickey was a right distraught mess, as well. The Doctor would always be their friend. But he would never again be her Doctor.

"But I love you," she said quietly.

She looked around, smiling at the pictures, the memories. She would treasure them forever, but it was time to let the past stay in the past.

There, in her old room, an era ended. She could move on, just like he did.

* * *

Slowly, the TARDIS crew filed into the console room, still tired. Jack seemed irritable, not even answering Martha's enquiries. River looked extremely guilty and distraught. Mickey looked annoyed that he was woken up. Donna looked giddy just to be on an adventure. Rose and John looked solemn. Martha looked curious. Amy and Rory looked like they wanted the TARDIS back to themselves.

"So, what're we supposed to do?" Amy asked.

"Well, if we pinpoint the exact centre of the rift," Martha started.

"It's at Bad Wolf Bay," John said, "Rose figured it out at our Torchwood."

"But why there? Why not the Medusa Cascade or something on a grander scale?" Donna asked.

The Doctor knew why. The Dreamlord didn't want to destroy planets by creating a rift. He wanted a way to get back to _her_. He gazed at Rose, and she looked away, fidgeting under his scrutinizing look. He gulped. He had to tell them. He had to tell them that this was all for nothing. That the Dreamlord just wanted Rose back. But he was defeated. Now the Doctor had to lock him away forever. If Rose was happy, he was happy.

"He was looking for attention. He wanted someone to notice the rifts and come in saving the day," the Doctor admitted.

"More specifically," John looked to Rose. She looked back at him, confused as to what she could have to do with it.

"Exactly," the Doctor told John.

His human counterpart furrowed his brow. It was all beginning to fall into place. The Dreamlord wanted Rose back. When he saw that she was happy with John, she once again became the Bad Wolf. Knowing John would risk his life to save her, Rose would be free to travel with the real Doctor again. When that failed, and the TARDIS saved them both, the Dreamlord gave her an ultimatum. Bloody hell, he was persistent. But what would he do know that she had chosen? What was to be their fate?

The Doctor set a few coordinates, "I'm taking you all home. I need to deal with this on my own."

"We're not leaving you," Rose said harshly, "We're not just gonna up and swan off when things get too hard. Who do you take us for?"

John nodded in agreement.

"She's right," Martha agreed, "Plus, you've got two of UNIT's finest."

"Ah, I'm flattered," Mickey grinned, "and in agreement. You're not goin' to get rid of us so easy."

"You also have Torchwood's best," Jack pointed to himself.

Rose and John sent him a look. Jack bristled.

"Well, this world's best from Torchwood. And the other one's," he corrected.

"Quite right. I'm not leaving either. Without you, I wouldn't exist. I owe you at least this much," John said seriously, adding a small smile.

"You're never going to be alone," Donna took the Doctor's hand, "You have such tremendous friends. Every night, we'll look up to the starry sky, and look for you. I know I did after I turned down your offer to go with you the first time."

The Doctor cracked a smile. He squeezed Donna's hand. It was so...right to have her back again.

"Let's get going then," Rory said, grinning, "I have a bone to pick with the Dreamlord, killing me in a dream, and everything."

Amy and the Doctor shared a laugh.

"Geronimo!" the Doctor shouted.

* * *

**This chapter was a bit fluffy, and filler-y**. **It's almost done! The next chapter is the showdown**. **I'd like to thank everyone w****ho has reviewed and added the story to their alerts and favorites.**

**I don't remember who had the crack theory concerning River, but that was quite brilliant, and disturbing. :)**

**Thank you every one for your reviews, it means a lot to me that you take the time to leave a comment.**


	13. Across the Universe

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**Across the Universe**

Everyone had a job to do. There was bustling going about in the TARDIS, a sort of energy and trepidation that the Doctor hadn't seen since defeating Davros and saving the universe. Amy was currently helping Jack assemble a few choice weapons he had brought along with him. "Just in case" he had said. He didn't believe in the Doctor's pacifist ideology, and thus had no qualms about blowing the Dream Lord into smitherines. Rory looked at his wife as he jotted down the information Mickey was barking at him in quick succession.

"Amy," he looked worried, "You don't know how to use that."

She scoffed at him, "I was a cop once."

"Yeah, as a kissogram," Rory scratched his head.

"Shut up! I'm trying to help," Amy retorted.

"You won't be helping anyone by accidentally shooting him," Rory motioned to Jack.

"It's okay. I'm immortal," Jack grinned, "so if you ever decide to divorce..." he sent Rory a look. Rory looked frightened.

"Anything that moves," Donna muttered under her breath as she passed by Jack, holding a stack of books.

Mickey chuckled, "Finally, someone agrees!"

"I think we all agree," John grinned.

"You were a kissogram?" Jack looked at Amy, as if with new appreciation. She nodded.

"Point proven," Martha snorted.

Brief jokes aside, they all focused back on their work. Rose and John were explaining the data they found at Torchwood for the umpteenth time. There were small galaxies blinking out of existence. As far as they knew, these planets were unoccupied. However, once enough of them seemed to be destroyed, a rift was created between two universes. A rift that would land one right onto Darlig Ulv Stranden.

River and Martha were discussing strategies, while the Doctor interjected, saying that he himself needed to rid himself of the Dream Lord. He was, after all, his dark side. Donna glanced through books, finding a diary she recognised. She gasped slightly, thumbing through it. A drawing of Rose, notes about her. Love letters never sent. Dreams of what their life could have been together. She expected to see a few blank pages, but there were newer entries still. Her heart ached. She looked at the Doctor, who was so outwardly calm. She followed his gaze. Rose. Of course he still loved her. Oh, wasn't this just dandy? She shut the book quickly, placing it aside. She knew the Doctor didn't want pity. No wonder the Dream Lord set out to get Rose back, and when that didn't work, inadvertently kill John.

John glanced up from the console he was currently manning, grave look on his face.

"We seem to have a bit of a problem," he said.

Rose scanned the data, jaw dropping, "Oh, bloody hell."

The Doctor rushed to their side, eyes widening.

"What happened?" Donna demanded.

The Doctor and John shared a look.

"The rift's been widened. The universe is about to fall into ours!" Rose said, panicky.

"But how could he have so much power over it? There must be someone helping him," Martha tried to reason.

The Doctor and John simultaneously set coordinates, their minds in tune with one another's.

"Where're we going?" Mickey asked nervously.

"Shadow Proclamation," the Doctor replied, "the Dream Lord is in violation. He should be arrested."

"That won't do anything! What's to say he doesn't try and pull this again if he gets out?" John asked.

"He won't get out," the Doctor insisted.

"How'd he even get out of the TARDIS? I thought he could only control dreams," River said.

"Clever one, you are," the Dream Lord popped up in the centre of the TARDIS.

Jack immediately reached for a gun. The Dream Lord laughed.

"I have armies of followers. And they all want one thing," he grinned like the Cheshire cat.

"And what would that be?" Rose crossed her arms.

"The Doctor's death," he grinned.

"You can't exist without him," John glared. No way was he going to get his way.

"Are you sure about that?" the Dreamlord teased.

Suddenly, the TARDIS began to shake vehemently. Everyone tried to grab onto a chair or the console.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor shouted, "You're going to get us all killed!"

"You've caught onto the plan, then!" the Dream Lord snickered.

"Oi! You're included in the death!" Donna shouted, restraining the urge to lunge at him. Jack was holding her back, and keeping her steady during the tremors.

Amy was clinging onto Rory for dear life, breathing heavily. Rory clutched onto Amy, refusing to loosen his grip. Mickey was seated, holding Martha close to him. John had automatically wrapped his arms around Rose, holding her steady. She closed her eyes, trying not to fall over. River was holding onto the console with a death grip, trying to to change coordinates. The Doctor was next to her, glaring at the Dreamlord.

The shaking stopped, but instead they felt as though they were hurled through all of space and time. The companions lurched, Mickey's chair sliding and colliding with Donna and Jack.

"Ah!" Amy screamed as a roundel that lined the console room came crashing down in front of her and Rory.

"Oh, damn!" River yelped. The console began to emit sparks, making her let go, sending her flying to the other end of the room.

"We need to break for one of the other control rooms!" John shouted amid the destruction.

"Who knows what state those rooms are in," the Doctor grimaced.

Donna clung to Jack as they were thrown in another direction, "Do something!"

The Dreamlord sat back, watching the console room fall apart, enjoying the view. All of this could have been avoided, but no. He sent a look to Rose, huddled in John's arms. A frown crossed his face. All of it could have been avoided. But now, he was going to go through with something on a grander scale. Something that would let him live forever, be it dream or reality. The Doctor glared at the Dream Lord, who smiled and waved. The Doctor knew. Part of him was the Dream Lord. Deep down in all the angst, he wanted this to happen. But not anymore.

* * *

The TARDIS looked like a shooting star in the sky, hurling towards Earth. So this how it was going to end. The Doctor and his precious companions, crashlanding into London. Except, they weren't heading toward London, or even Earth. The TARDIS was going towards an unknown planet. One that the Doctor may have found familiar. One that had been erased from history.

The TARDIS had been flung across the universe to a yellow-orange, amber coloured planet, in the constellation of Kasterborous, 250 million light years away from Earth. And so they crash landed. It was as if the TARDIS herself had known where to go, and when. The Dream Lord wasn't controlling it. Oh no, it was something much greater, much more powerful. Getting to Rose was just a means to an end. She was a mere pawn in the deadly game the Dream Lord was playing.

The Doctor flung the door of the TARDIS open, coughing. His fellow companions followed him out, teary eyed and shaken. Jack had taken necessary precautions and taken weapons with him, distributing one to every one else. John looked around, Rose right next to him. He couldn't believe his eyes. The land, the silver leafed trees. Only the Citadel was missing. The entire place reeked of war, or Dalek. He fell to his knees, placing his ear on the ground. The Doctor took deep, steady breaths, not trusting his vision. It couldn't be.

What had the Face of Boe told him? "Know this Time Lord: You are not alone." He had always assumed that dear Boe had meant the Master. He looked around. There were no Time Lords around him. Just John, and Donna. The Doctor Donna. His gaze drifted toward River. Could she be a Time Lady? She did know far more than any human could. He shook his head. It was too much for even his advanced brain to take.

"Doctor, where are we?" Donna asked with bated breath.

"Gallifrey," he said quietly.

Rose looked at John, who returned her gaze with teary eyes. She took his hand, standing in solidarity with him. Donna took the Doctor's hand, and with her other took Rose's. Jack took the Doctor's spare hand, and in succession went Martha, Mickey, Rory, Amy, and River.

"Oh, isn't that sweet?" the Dreamlord drawled, "Your friends can't save you."

"What do you want?" the Doctor asked as calmly as he could.

"The rise of the Time Lords, to take back their proper place in the universe's hierarchy," the Dream Lord explained.

"There'll be no universe if the Time Lords return," John said in exasperation.

"How are you even functioning outside of a dream?" Rory asked, glaring at the man who had killed him.

Out from the shadows came the Valeyard, a sinister grin on his face.

"I don't need you, when I have him," the Dream Lord jerked his thumb.

"So we meet again," he snarled at the Doctor.

* * *

**I just heard about Elisabeth Sladen the other day. May the ultimate companion RIP. She will be missed, as will Sarah Jane Smith. **

**So, there's a bigger bad than the Dream Lord. How do you think the Doctor will save the day this time?**

**Thanks to those of you who have reviewed and added the story to your favorites or alerts! **

**Please review, I like feedback.**


	14. I'm the Doctor

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**I'm The Doctor**

The Doctor stared back at the Valeyard, anger searing through his veins. He couldn't be angry, though. The more negativity radiated from him, the more powerful the Valeyard would get. And the stupid smirk on the Dream Lord's face would widen. He knew how it worked. It happened before, and he had been naive to not think it may happen again. No, he had to get a grip on himself. He looked to Rose, whose chin was quivering as she tried to fight back tears. She leaned into John, depending on him for strength. Not him. Never him. He remembered a time when they were together. When she loved him unconditionally. He knew Donna had spotted his little diary, once again. Drawings, dreams of the life they could have had. Could've, would've, should've. It's all gone now. It had been gone. Rose didn't belong with him.

Donna looked at him, and as if reading his mind, squeezed his hand in reassurance. She nodded slightly, letting him know that she was always there. That he always had a friend. That he was loved.

As much as he longed for her, longed for her touch, for her words of comfort, for her lips on his, she was gone. He was reluctant to regenerate. As much as he loved continuing his adventures, and he'd gotten used to this body, part of him loathed it. It wasn't the form she recognised. It was the form that had never held her. Never taken her hand and run for the hills. Never made a joke she had laughed at. Yes, she hugged him when her and John appeared in front of the TARDIS, but it was all too brief. It wasn't a hug between two people who loved each other, but two friends. And that might just be enough.

He had seen the ring on her finger. The complete adoration she looked at John with. And he slowly began to acknowledge it was for the best. He could never give her the life she deserved. But John could offer her the best of both worlds. He is the Doctor, after all, just in human form. They could do domestic, while still traveling amongst the stars. They were perfect for one another.

There was no need for the Doctor to carry around this angst with him any longer. The saying was that if you love someone, set them free. The first time, she was stolen from him. The second time he left her with John. This time, once they had survived, he'll let her go. She would be free to go on living her life, happily. She deserved a happy life with John, with children and later grandchildren. He would always love Rose Tyler, but he could let her go now. He can move on. He smiled a little, feeling lighter. Donna grinned, once again the rock that he depended on.

"Wipe that grin off your face, human," the Valeyard drawled.

Jack growled and lobbed a shot at the Valeyard, who dodged, laughing. He sent another beam to the Dream Lord, who was stunned temporarily. The Valeyard rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked.

"Our dear friend here," he gestured to the Dream Lord "needed a helping hand. Since things didn't go his way, he decided to help me reclaim Gallifrey."

"That's in violation of the Shadow Proclamation," John gritted his teeth.

"And who are you?" the Valeyard asked.

"I'm the Doctor," John replied seriously. The Doctor grinned slightly. Two Doctors were always better than one. River winked at the Doctor, as if thinking the exact same thing.

The Valeyard's smug expression fell before being replaced by a steely glare. Fine, he could destroy them both then and there. His gaze travelled to the blonde, who was clinging onto the Doctor for dear life. He snorted. Yes, them holding hands was such a show of solidarity. Dumb gits.

Donna looked between them, and broke free of the hand-holding circle. She took the Doctor's and Rose's hands and clasped them together. Rose looked up at the Doctor with a shy smile, and he grinned back like an idiot. Donna looked immensely proud of herself. She moved to Jack, who stealthily handed her a gun. She snuck around to the TARDIS. She sneakily moved around, behind the Valeyard. If he tried anything funny, he'd have a gun wielded by Donna Noble at the back of his head.

"Oh, for crying out loud! How tedious you all are," the Valeyard grumbled. He wanted to finish this as soon as possible.

"You were dead. Gone, how'd you come back?" the Doctor began to interrogate him. The more time that he could buy, the better. He was working out a way to defeat him. He knew he could blast the TARDIS at him, but it was already rundown.

He didn't notice that the group had dissipated. Martha and Mickey held their lasers steady, looking to Jack for the signal. Amy and Rory had tied up the Dream Lord's hands with Amy's ridiculously long scarf. River had whipped out her little laser, aiming it at the Dream Lord's head. Rose took the laser from River, motioning for her to go back to the TARDIS. She knew how to pilot it, thus it was her job to get it up and running again. John held his slightly-malfunctioning sonic in his hand, scanning the TARDIS. That left the Doctor to decide how he wanted to proceed.

"You didn't want to leave," the Valeyard said simply.

"What?" the Doctor's eyes narrowed.

"So full of anger, you were. Going to say goodbye to your loved ones. To her," he glanced at Rose, "so relunctant to change."

The gears in the Doctor's brain began working. He should have realised. His relunctance to regenerate from his tenth self into this re-created the negative feelings. He tried so hard to extend his time, and the Valeyard was the result. The cracks had been the Valeyard, his way of retalliation. The the Dream Lord had gone along with it, wanting a way back to Rose. The Doctor had been looking for a way back to Rose, but he didn't want the universe to be destroyed. He had just wanted to see her again. No, this had gone too far. Too long. It should have been stopped when he had the chance. He shouldn't have been so depressed about changing. He knew it was part of his nature as a Time Lord. Now he could accept it, and move on. He would say goodbye to Rose Tyler, but first, he had to destroy all the evil within him, manifested in the Valeyard and Dream Lord. He would weaken the Valeyard from within, by merely daring to be happy.

"I accept my fate," the Doctor said quietly, "I know I change. I accept it. I am the Doctor. I'm over 900 years old. I travel alone, but know I have my friends waiting for me."

The Valeyard appeared shocked. He felt weak, like a Dalek had just exterminated him. He stared back at the Doctor, recognising the determined look in his eyes. Companions came and went. The Doctor loved them all. He was used to it, now. Rose had a life of her own, and she was free to live it. All the Doctor had to look forward to were more fantastic adventures with Rory and Amy, and later still unknown companions. The song would go on.

"You hold no power over me," he roared, "I hold it over you!"

With that, he looked to Jack, nodding. Jack smirked, motioning to Martha and Mickey to take aim.

"Are you sure you want to sully the hands of your companions with even more blood? Taking humans and turning them into warriors for you, as usual," the Valeyard spat, echoing the words of Davros.

The Doctor glared at the Valeyard. Jack took aim, nodding the Mickey and Martha. He and the Jones-Smiths lobbed their lasers at the Valeyard.

"No!" the Valeyard shouted as the beams of light came flying at him, "You'll never be rid of me! I can always come back!"

The lasers hit him, making him disappear into dust. Donna stood at the pile of ashes, eyes wide with relief. The Dream Lord looked panicked as Rory gave him a punch, "That's for calling me stupid."

Amy looked at him, and he shrugged. He needed to get that out of his system. Jack aimed his gun at the Dream Lord, destroying him once and for all.

The Doctor slumped to the ground, emotionally drained. He had more blood on his hands, yet he felt lighter. John kneeled down next to him, offering his hand to help him up. After slight hesitation, the Doctor took Jonh's hand, standing. The two Doctors stared at one another a long while. The Doctor studied his old face while John looked at what he would've looked like. John cracked one of his grins and hugged the Doctor. The Doctor smiled softly, clapping John on the back. It felt odd to be hugging himself, but right. Rose rushed up to them, smiling. She watched as they separated from the hug. She gave the Doctor a hug, holding him tightly. He relished the feeling of holding her one last time. She pulled back and kissed him on the cheek. It was enough. He released her from the hold, and she lunged at John, kissing him soundly. The Doctor didn't feel pain in his hearts, but complete and utter joy. He had bestowed that happiness to them, and for that he felt proud of himself.

"Thank you," John mouthed as Rose hugged him.

The Doctor nodded, happy that the whole ordeal was over. River came out of the TARDIS.

"It's up and running, and, even better, the console shows that the rift's been closed!" River beamed, "the destruction of the Valeyard got rid of the rift."

Donna dropped the gun and rushed over to the Doctor, hugging him.

"That was brilliant!" she enthused.

"Thank you, Donna," the Doctor said, referring to her never wavering support.

"Call me Donna Noble: Supertemp!" she grinned. She looked around to see Martha and Jack in the midst of a hug and bristled, saying she'd be right back.

"Oi! Jack," she nudged Martha out of the way, hugging a frightened looking Jack. He was used to hitting on others, not being hit on. Rory laughed at his predicament, glad Jack wasn't attempting to flirt with him.

Amy nudged him, "Stop your laughing." She kissed her husband, enjoying the smile that crossed his features.

Martha and Mickey were in the midst of an embrace, grinning madly at each other. Rose and John took turns hugging them.

"Rose, we're gonna miss you," Mickey told her.

"We're working on a way to get through without destroying the universe," Rose confided, "our only trouble is that we're a few years ahead of you lot."

"Brilliant, the two of you," he shook his head.

After everyone had congratulated one another on a job well done, Rose looked at John. "So this is Gallifrey?"

"Yep," he said solemnly.

"I'm glad I got to see it," Rose said, taking his hand.

"Let's get goin' then," Jack shouted.

The Doctor stepped towards John, looking out at their lost planet one last time.

"Goodbye, Gallifrey," John said quietly, tears threatening to fall.

The Doctor gulped, clapping John on the shoulder, "So long."

"Time to go, I s'pose. Allons-y," John whispered, looking at the orange sky.

The Doctor followed his gaze, nodding solemnly. He would never again be back. And that, now that, was hearwrenching. The two of them understood each other so well, which was to be expected. After all, they were nearly the same person. The Doctor accepted facts, accepted life. If he couldn't be happy with Rose, then at least he could be happy with the knowledge that John was happy with Rose. He looked to the TARDIS and had hope. The TARDIS was truly home.

"Allons-y," the Doctor said so quietly only John could hear. The latter smiled broadly, clapping the Doctor on the back as they moved towards the TARDIS, joining their friends.

It was time to go home.

* * *

**Doctor/John friendship, anyone? And Donna Noble: Supertemp would be an awesome spin-off.**

**One chapter left! It's coming to an end. Please review. **

**I'm already a few drafts and chapters into a story revolving around John and Rose before this whole thing. A prequel, if you will. I plan to post it as soon as this one's done. I also have a sequel concerning Donna's daughter finding her way to the TARDIS unintentionally.**

**SPOILERS**

** SERIES 6 started off with a bang! I thought it was really brilliant, though I was left with a sinking feeling about poor Rory before I saw the preview for the next epsiode. River was quite amusing, but the Doctor shouldn't call her Mrs Robinson, seeing as though he's about 900, and she's nowhere near that. Enjoyed the joke, nonetheless. I now really want to know who the astronaut was. SPOILERS: I think it was River, also known as Amy's daughter, though I could've sworn she was Romana. I dunno, but River did say that the last time she meets the Doctor, he doesn't know her at all (Silence in the Library). Me thinks dear Moffat has been planning this since series 4. (hence Silence in the Library, and now the Silents). **

**I liked the little tribute for Elisabeth Sladen. I actually cried when I found out dear Sarah Jane was gone. The last time I cried for an actor was Heath Ledger. :(**


	15. The Long Goodbye

**Doctor 10.5 and Rose find a rift in the universe and time is about to collapse. What happens when they travel back to their own universe, only to bump into a new Doctor and the Ponds? I don't own DW. If I did, Donna would still be around. I do, however, have the Doctor Who theme (series 1-2) as my ring tone, so I feel ridiculously cool whenever I get a call.**

**The Long Goodbye**

It was fantastic to see the TARDIS so occupied. Each person had a job to do, moving in rhythm when steering. The Doctor stood at the helm with River on one side, John on the other. Next to John was Rose, then Jack, Mickey, Martha, Donna, Amy, Rory, and back to River.

"Not the wobbly lever, love," River stopped the Doctor's motions.

Rose let out a laugh, "Are you his wife?"

"Spoilers," she winked.

She smiled, shaking her head. John leaned to see River, "Congratulations, then?"

River remained silent. Donna looked up at Jack.

"How's about you and me..." she trailed.

"You're married," the Doctor told her. Donna threw her hands up in the air, muttering about a free pass.

Jack shook his head, glancing at Rory, "My offer still stands."

Rory turned bright scarlet, while Amy laughed at his discomfort.

"You can take him any time," she grinned.

"Hey! I waited 2000 years for you!"

"Always going to bring that up, are you?"

Donna laughed, "I can see it now. 'Love, I want to watch the World Cup.' 'I'm watchin' me soaps.' 'I waited 2000 years for you!'"

"He would," Amy grumbled.

Mickey laughed, "Soon she's gonna have you doin' all the housework, too."

"Shut up," Martha elbowed him in the stomach.

The Doctor stood amongst his friends, a genuine smile seemingly permanent on his face. Everyone lived. Donna had her memory back. And he got closure. He looked at Rose who grinned back. His hearts didn't ache, nor did he feel the fluttering in his stomach. He would always love her, but it was no longer a hurtful sort of love. More friendly. Less angst. His tenth self had done angst quite well, if he did say so himself, but it was time to move on. That chapter was closed.

Now they were all focused on getting home. The TARDIS materialised in front of Torchwood. The group filed out of the TARDIS, stretching their limbs. Mickey, Martha, and Jack stood there, looking at the assembled group sadly.

"Well, we best be off," Martha said.

Mickey nodded, wrapping his arm around her waist. Jack glanced at the pair.

"If you get tired of UNIT, my offer still stands," he suggested.

"Goodbye, you three," the Doctor said, hugging them.

John waited and then gave Mickey a pat on the back, Martha a hug, and Jack a handshake. Rose hugged Mickey tightly, telling him she'd find a way back.

"Tell Jackie hi for me, will you?" he asked her.

"Of course," Rose sniffled, releasing her childhood friend. She hugged Martha, telling her to take care of him. She stopped in front of Jack, grinnng.

"So long, Captain," she said with a hug.

"Hey, John," Jack called over Rose's shoulder.

"Yep?" he asked.

"I'm taking blondie with me," he winked.

John rolled his eyes, gently pulling Jack off of Rose, "Get your own wife."

Jack sent a pointed look at Rory who put his hands up, "I don't swing that way. Sorry!"

Amy nudged him in the ribs before hugging Martha. The pair had grown quite close after their little heart-to-heart and chats. The Doctor watched them, slowly realising that Amy and Rory were the new Martha and Mickey. Poor Mickey had felt like the tin dog when he travelled with him and Rose, but he had come into his own. It had just taken Martha to get him to grow up a bit. Now it was Rory's turn, for he was no tin dog. Hell, he'd been a Roman for 2000 years!

After more hugs were exchanged, Martha, Mickey, and Jack set off inside Torchwood, chatting along the way.

Rose and John's TARDIS became visible as John walked towards it.

"He can set the cloaking device correctly," River teased the Doctor.

"Oh, shut up," the Doctor scowled playfully.

Rose and John stood next to each other, facing the remaining companions. Rose hugged Rory and Amy quickly before smiling at Donna.

"Thank you, Donna. For him, for everything," Rose told her, giving her a hug.

Tears pricked Donna's eyes, "No problem. Thank you for giving me my memory back."

"How could I not help the most important woman in all of creation?" Rose pulled away, eyes equally teary, "there can be no rueful fate for Donna Noble."

Donna gave a watery smile before releasing her. She hugged John tightly, nearly crushing his bones.

"You're still just a skinny boy in a suit," Donna joked.

"And you still can't even change a plug," John joked back, backing away from her in mock fear of her reaction.

"Oi!" she shouted, crossing her arms.

"Yes, Earth Girl?" he grinned.

Rose laughed, "Let's go before she kills you."

"Rose, you'd best punish him when you get home," Donna huffed.

"Wait!" the Doctor shouted, running into his TARDIS. A few moments later, he emerged, holding a folded coat and on top of it, the formerly ruined sonic screwdriver. The blue one.

John's voice got caught in his throat. He looked at the Doctor in shock.

"I don't wear it anymore. And I have a newer sonic, so" he shoved the objects into John's arms.

John examined the sonic. He shrugged off his department store brown coat and handed it to Rose. He pulled on his old coat, in all it's billowy glory. He dug inside the pockets, pleased to see that they were never-ending. Out of it he pulled out his glasses. He perched them on his nose. In the other pocket was a picture. Rose, a picture of Rose and himself that Mickey had taken. Their heads were pressed together as they laughed.

"I don't know how to thank you," John choked, hugging the Doctor.

"No thanks necessary," the Doctor replied casually.

Rose looked at John, for a moment feeling as though everything was back to normal. She hugged the Doctor, whispering her thanks in his ear. She kissed him on the cheek, smiling softly.

"Goodbye, Rose Tyler," he said quietly.

Rose waved to River, Amy, Rory, and the Doctor. John opened the door to their TARDIS.

"Goodbye!" the Doctor said loudly, "Rose and the Doctor in the TARDIS again! Brilliant!" he grinned.

John looked at him in shock, heart swelling his pride. He was still the Doctor. And now he had everything he could have ever wanted.

"Goodbye, Doctor," he replied, "Donna, keep him in line will you?"

"Course," Donna said, crying.

"You too, Ponds and River," John nodded at them. They responded in kind.

"We'll see each other again some day. Don't worry. Take care," Rose bid them farewell. She disappeared into the TARDIS, John following.

"Allons-y," John said, lingering at the door before ducking inside.

The blue box disappeared, the sound so comforting and familiar. The Doctor smiled, waving.

That left him with the Ponds, Donna, and River. They moved into the TARDIS, wiping their eyes.

"Well, let's get going," the Doctor said, "Where'd you like to go next?"

"She's coming with us?" Rory asked referring to Donna.

"Got a problem with that?" Donna rested her hands on her hips.

"Not at all," replied a mildly frightened Rory.

"You know where," Donna said. Her poor granddad needed an explanation. Knowing Wilf, though, he'd insist on tagging along. The Doctor cringed slightly. As long as he didn't knock four time's, they'd be just fine.

"Geronimo!" the Doctor shouted, setting coordinates for Chiswick. Oh yes, he loved a full TARDIS.

* * *

**Well, that's all, folks. It has truly been a wonderful experience. I hope you've all enjoyed the story. I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read, review, and add this story to their alerts and favorites. Part of me doesn't want the story to end, but moving on is the right thing to do.**

**I'm working on a prequel about Rose and John called "Fix You", about how they managed to get through all of the inevitable agnst to heal. It should be up soon. **

**Thank you again!**


	16. Author's Note

Hello all.

Just wanted to let you all know that "Fix You" is up now. I'm not sure how long the story will be. It's not quite written in chronological order and it's a bit stream-of-consciousness at times. I'm pretty sure the story will end where "Bridging the Gap" begins. Or it'll go beyond that and show John and Rose afterwards. It all depends on the feedback I get.

Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout "Bridging the Gap".


End file.
